


Tell Me Something I Don't Know

by sultrybutdamaged



Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, And a Love Triangle That Resolves in the Best Way, Based on a Rom-Com, But With Way More Plot, F/F, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Multi, Polyamory Negotiations, canon adjacent, other minor pairings - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:53:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 138,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26512459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sultrybutdamaged/pseuds/sultrybutdamaged
Summary: Kady and Penny are Agents of the Library, partners and best friends - until they both end up dating Julia and their friendship turns to competition. But when Julia becomes the target of a dangerous magician, Kady and Penny have to use all their skills to protect her - and maybe deal with their feelings for each other in the process.
Relationships: Josh Hoberman/Victoria Gradley, Marina Andrieski/Kady Orloff-Diaz, Penny Adiyodi/Alice Quinn (past), Quentin Coldwater/Eliot Waugh, William "Penny" Adiyodi/Kady Orloff-Diaz/Julia Wicker
Comments: 152
Kudos: 24
Collections: Magicians Happy Ever After





	1. Flashback #1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [[ART] for Tell Me Something I Don't Know](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26526571) by [Mizzy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mizzy/pseuds/Mizzy). 



> Here is my entry for the MHEA event, based on "This Means War," a sort of weird not-very-romantic comedy about a love triangle that clearly should have turned into a threesome. I took that as my inspiration and ran with it. In here you will find romance, comedy, and a love triangle, but also a lot of plot and hopefully a satisfying conclusion.
> 
> This fic was a huge and kind of crazy project. I'm so grateful to the MHEA mods for creating this event and all their support during the process. 
> 
> Thanks also to my discord group, especially Egypt, who helped me figure out how not to ship Penny/Alice for the length of this one fic, and to my beta [thoughtsappear](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thoughtsappear/pseuds/thoughtsappear) who was extremely patient with me. 
> 
> Finally, a huge thanks to [Mizzy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mizzy/pseuds/Mizzy), who stepped in very late to take over as a replacement artist and delivered ridiculously cute art in an extremely short time. Please give her all the praise.
> 
> A quick note on the fic itself: this is a romance, and I have done my best to keep it somewhat light. It is also a fic about characters from The Magicians, and adjacent to canon, and so darker subjects do creep in. There are references to all the characters' canon backstories, including Kady's history of addiction. Reynard the Fox does appear in this fic, and he does have a history with Julia, but that history does not include rape, and there is no sexual assault anywhere in this fic. Reynard is his creepy self, but his role is pretty minor.

“You can’t keep me here,” Penny said as soon as the man stepped through the door. He folded his arms and tried to look more angry than freaked out. Frankie always said Penny underestimated how intimidating he could be, _especially when you make your muscles go all bulgy._

The man - a short white dude, glasses, balding - paused. “Ah,” he said, “You’re one who’ll want to tell me about his rights. Rest assured, you don’t have any here.”

That confirmed Penny’s theory that he was some kind of arrested, but not in a reassuring way. “Fuck that. I’m a citizen.”

“Of the United States, yes. But you aren’t in your country at present. Actually, you aren’t on the planet Earth at all.”

“The hell are you talking about?” This office was a nice one, full of fancy shit, but ordinary. Penny had explored every corner as he was pacing around for the last hour and he hadn’t found anything unusual. “Are you gonna tell me we’re on a spaceship?” 

The man didn’t look amused. “That’s absurd.” He crossed the room to take a seat behind the broad maple desk. “Please, have a seat. I’m Director Rowe, but you may call me Everett.” Penny glanced around warily, but he couldn’t see any trap in that, so he sat across from the desk. It was a comfortable chair, he’d give these cops or whatever they were that much. “I suppose you might say we’re on another planet, though planetary system is really the correct term. Artificially created, of course, as a way station between universes. Welcome to the Library of the Neitherlands, Mr. Adiyodi.”

“Uh-huh.” Penny shook his head, still waiting for the joke. Some cops did this, try to loosen you up before they started the questioning. “And you’re a librarian? ‘Cause I’ve met librarians. Glasses, sweaters, always telling you to shush.” Rowe smiled like he’d been given a compliment. “Not the people I’d expect to hold someone against their will.”

Rowe’s genial expression turned serious. “We may conform to certain stereotypes, but don’t let appearances fool you. No one in this building is without defenses. You would do well not to try to leave.”

It took effort for Penny to hold the man’s eyes steadily. “Not sure why you’d think I could leave. I thought we were on another planet?”

He’d already tried, as soon as they’d left him here, closing his eyes and picturing his apartment in as much detail as he could, right down to the half-eaten box of pizza he’d left on the counter before heading out on this stupid robbery. Nothing had happened. No blip. 

The mind-reading didn’t work on Rowe either, but Penny had seen that before. There were always people he couldn’t read. His landlady, Beatriz, said they had strong wards, like the kind Penny had to learn if he wasn’t going to go crazy from all the thoughts around him. But the other thing, the blip… Penny was used to that not working the way he wanted it to, sure. But not once in the six months since he’d gone to sleep in his bed and woken up in Detroit had it just failed to work at all.

Rowe smiled, but it was less friendly now. “Let’s skip the games, shall we?” he said. “You’ve obviously noticed that we are a magical organization, that we can block you from casting. And we are aware of your talents. That’s why we picked you up. The Library has a mandate to enforce magical law. You broke one such law when you robbed that jewelry store and took a particular gem.”

He’d told Frankie this was a bad idea. “That guy was never going to be able to sell something so ugly.”

“No, probably not,” Rowe said, “especially since he had no idea what it was.” He held up a hand. “Let me save us some time. You and I both know that an Emmerson’s Alloy Repellent is a useful tool, but it’s still a common magical toy. Sought for by petty hedgewitches but not of any real significance. And we can also skip the part where you tell me all about your friend who got in over his head and needed the protection. Or that the owner of that particular shop had two domestic violence charges the courts had dismissed and deserved what he had coming to him.” Penny just gave him a look. He wasn’t about to justify himself to this co - _librarian_. He had his fucking reasons. “I’m sure you’re right.” Rowe glanced again at the folder on his desk. “The fact is, were you any other magician, we might not have bothered with you. We prefer to let local magical communities police themselves. But in your case…“

He raised his eyebrows, as if waiting for something. Now Penny could sense the trap, even if he didn’t know what the man wanted him to do to spring it. “In my case, what?”

“You are a Traveler.” Penny stared at him, and for the first time, the man looked surprised. “Your talent? It’s part of the psychic discipline?”

“Right, yeah, I can sometimes read minds - “

“Yes, but you can do so much more than that!” Rowe sat up, exasperated. “Have you honestly never met a magician who explained this to you?”

“I don’t spend much time with ‘magicians.’” There was Frankie, and Beatriz, who claimed to be able to talk to animals - Penny might have thought she was just a crazy cat lady, but she’d saved his life, helping him with the psychic stuff, and he couldn’t argue with those results. Otherwise, Penny avoided hedgewitches. He had enough of his own problems.

Rowe sighed. “I see we’re starting from the beginning. I’ll have to find someone to catch you up, but for now - Travelers have magic embedded at the genetic level, and that makes you extremely powerful. You can read minds, enter the consciousness of others, transport yourself across worlds, and even bring people with you. Just like my associate Gavin brought you here.”

Gavin had appeared in the store just as Penny was picking up the Emmerson’s - and Penny owed Frankie an apology, because holy _fuck_ was it not fun when someone was just suddenly there where no one had been a second earlier - and grabbed his arm, and without warning they’d been here. It had felt like what happened when Penny blipped from place to place, the swoop in his stomach and behind his eyes, but worse, because it had been outside his control. 

He wasn’t about to give Rowe the satisfaction of asking about it, but he must have let some curiosity show, because the man said, “There are many things we could teach you here at the Library. How to actually use your psychic gift without it overwhelming you, for instance. Very few Travelers master that without help and the results when they don’t aren’t pretty. The ways they find to quiet the thoughts of others tend to be quite permanent.”

Penny had gone pretty far down that path before he met Beatriz, and even with her help, the concentration it took to shut out the voices left no room for anything else. Rowe was a smarmy dick and Penny didn’t trust him for a second, but it was still soothing to be around his quiet mind. It almost made the offer tempting.

He shook his head. “I’m good,” he said. “No offense, but I don’t think libraries are really my kind of places.”

“You seem to think I’m giving you a choice.” Rowe paused, then smiled jovially, like a friendly dad in a movie. It didn’t work on his face. “Well, I suppose I am, in a way. Your crime will be addressed either way, but a man of your talents can choose the form that will take.”

Goddamn it, he _was_ a cop. “What choice?” Penny asked.

“We can place a tracker in your body. A Mark. That’s the typical punishment for most crimes under our laws. It will limit your ability to cast for the period of your sentence. It’s a brilliant solution, really. No imprisonment, nothing so inhumane. Of course, there would be consequences were you to cast a spell beyond what the tracker allows, even involuntarily.” He paused. “Traveling in your sleep, for instance, uses powerful magic. The Mark could cause you to explode.”

_“Explode?”_ Penny shot to his feet, almost knocking over the chair. “Because of something I can’t control? The hell is wrong with you people?”

“Oh, calm down. You wouldn’t die. Mostly likely just lose a limb.” If Rowe was intimidated by Penny looming over him, it didn’t show. Penny opened his mouth, but Rowe’s face went hard and his hands came up in a complicated twist of fingers… and Penny slammed back in the chair, air knocked out of him, invisible bonds around his wrists and ankles. He tugged, futilely, but there was barely any room to move.

None of the hedgewitches he’d met back in Florida had magic like that.

“I am trying to be patient with you, Mr. Adiyodi,” Rowe said, voice quiet over the roar of anger in Penny’s ears, “but you need to understand the position you are in. This isn’t a negotiation and you have no recourse. You can accept the Mark for ten years, assuming you survive that long, or you can sign a contract.” He flipped open the folder and drew out a form. “Service to the Library for the length of your sentence. We will train you in the skillset we require, and you will work for us. Once your contract ends, you will be free, with all the benefit of the knowledge you have gained. We would be pleased if you chose to remain with us after that, but you will be under no obligation. How does that sound?”

“Like signing my life away.” The chair rocked when he strained against the bonds, but his wrists didn’t move from their locked-down position.

“Ten years of it.” Rowe shrugged. “Not an unfair trade against the possibility of going mad or exploding.” He looked like he was waiting for some reaction, and when Penny just continued to glare, he sighed. “While we would prefer you agree to work for us, the Mark brings its own benefits. Once you are on our radar, you would be providing us with additional visibility into your community. I believe you have other friends with gifts?”

It was a laughably transparent threat, but… Frankie. Beatriz. Even those hedge girls with the shop down by the beach. These Librarians would use Penny to monitor them, maybe trap them into some “crime” if they decided their skills were useful. Unless Penny left Florida, left the only people who gave a shit about him, but then he’d be forced to keep moving for a lot more than ten years.

He wanted to tell the man to go fuck himself. Really, really wanted to, just to see the smug look wiped off his face. But that was pointless, bound to a chair and all. “What kind of work?” he asked. “I’m not killing people for you or anything like that.”

Rowe’s expression of shock was almost believable. “We are an order of scholars, not assassins.” Penny just stared at him, and after a moment he smiled faintly. “Well, we wouldn’t waste someone with your skills that way. I know you haven’t been given the best impression, but the Library is the center of the magical world. We monitor and control the flow of magic across dimensions, and we ensure that it is safe. You would be helping people.”

“I’m not the helpful type.”

“And yet you’re sitting here because your friend made a few bad enemies and needed protection. We will take care of his situation, of course. Consider it a signing bonus.” An odd expression crossed Rowe’s face. “You’re young, Penny. I think you don’t know yourself as well as you think you do.” He tapped the form. “So?” 

Penny tugged his arms against the invisible bonds - and nearly punched himself in the face when their grip was suddenly released. He wasn’t so sure Rowe didn’t laugh at that. He took the contract and scanned it, frantically looking for the trap, but the whole goddamn situation _was_ the trap and nothing in particular stood out. _Ten years of magical and mundane labor_. He tried to think through the options, find something else, but all he could feel was those invisible bonds, and all he could see was his friends in trouble because of him, and all he could hear was _the possibility of going mad or exploding._

He reached for the pen and signed his name, then pushed it back across the table. 

Rowe smiled. “Welcome to the Library, Penny.”

***

Dean Fogg’s office looked like something out of a book.

The walls were wood paneled and furniture was heavy and dark. Light from the long bank of windows to her right reflected off the collection of strange objects on every available surface. It was these that kept catching Julia’s eyes - little items, the display of magnifying glasses in multiple colors and the array of globes lit up with sparks and a row of small silver balls that seemed to be hanging suspended in the air - all just slightly off, so that Julia’s brain, raised on Fillory and Hogwarts and Earthsea, kept lighting up with recognition and thinking _magic._

It was a part of herself she’d shut away years ago, sometime between her last DnD campaign in high school and her first meeting with her pre-law advisor, and every time she heard that voice, it was like waking up once again. 

Margo, the alarmingly blunt girl who’d escorted her to the Dean’s office after her last test, had warned her that she could be turned away. “Happens to the kids they bring here all the time,” she’d said with a kind of world-weary confidence that Julia found odd in someone not much older than her. “They fail the written, they fail the practical, the Dean takes one look at them during his interview and decides they don’t have potential after all. And even if you get in, there are all kinds of tests. You could flunk out at any point in the first year.”She’d paused to cast a speculative look over Julia. “Though you don’t really seem like the type for that.”

“I don’t fail tests,” Julia had said, and Margo had said, “I just bet you don’t.”

The Dean, a middle-aged man in a nice suit, was not noticeably impressed. He ignored her for the first few minutes she was there, more concerned with finishing his sandwich and flipping through the stack of papers on his desk before finally extracting a long form filled with tiny print and pushing it in her direction. 

“It’s a graduate degree,” he said. “Three year program. If you choose to enroll, we’ll take care of informing your family - “

“I do!” He paused, raising his eyebrows, and Julia laughed nervously. “I mean, I would like to accept your offer,” she said. “To enroll at your school. If you want me.”

He smiled faintly, seeming to see her for the first time since she’d entered the room. “You wouldn’t have made this far if we didn’t want you as a student, Miss Wicker.”

The tension riding in Julia’s chest since Margo left her at the door eased. “Good,” she said. “Because I really want to be here. I mean, I - I always thought, maybe, when I was younger - “

“Most of our students do.”

All those days doing magic tricks with Quentin, figuring out the gimmick of them instantly even though he surpassed her in sleight-of-hand; nights on sleepovers lying beneath the table, drawing the map of Fillory and imagining a world that had things in it other the perfectly appointed apartments and business dinners and endless glasses of scotch that made up her parents’ lives. The deep conviction she’d had as a child that life could mean something _more_ , a conviction that had faded over the years as Julia had seen her father’s brilliant mind warped with drinking and Quentin sink again and again into sadness and told herself, _I won’t let the disappointment destroy me too._

But now the world was full of magic again.

“Did my friend get in?” she asked. “Quentin Coldwater? I haven’t seen him since after the written exam.” 

“You weren’t supposed to speak to him even then,” the Dean said, only mildly reproachful. “Your friend did pass the exams. I believe he will be the next one I see.” He glanced at the stack of forms on his desk pointedly. “The next in a very long list.”

“Right. Sorry.” Julia grabbed the consent form and the pen he handed her and signed her name at the bottom with only the faint discomfort any pre-law student would have at ignoring the fine print. _Former pre-law student,_ she reminded herself, surprised that she didn’t feel even a twinge of regret at putting aside all the time and effort she’d invested in her college career. “I’m in,” she said.

“Wonderful. One of the older students will escort you to your dorm, and your class schedule will be delivered by morning.”

Julia stood up and gathered her bag and coat, thinking that she ought to ask the kind of practical questions she needed answers to, like how was she going to get her things from the city and was there a place her phone would work so she could call James and explain… something, she had no idea what, but instead what came out was “What do we do with it?”

The Dean had already gone back to his lunch, but he raised his eyes at her question. “With _it_?”

“Magic. I mean…After I learn everything you can teach me, what do I do? Are there magical careers? Do we, I don’t know, do we… save the world?” She laughed a little, to show that she knew she was being silly.

The Dean didn’t laugh. He set down his sandwich, studying her as he wiped off his hands. “Do you see these globes behind me?” he asked. Julia’s eyes were drawn again to the seemingly ordinary items lit up with what were clearly magical sparks. “Those lights represent all the people in the world who are performing magic right at this moment. That’s how we find the students we recruit to this school. All of you were once just a spark on that globe.” 

“Oh.” There was a cluster of lights on the eastern coast of North America. At some point before this incredible day, Julia had caused one of those lights to flicker. The panel at her practical exam had already mentioned this, but for the first time it really sank in that Julia had performed magic before she’d stood up with them all looking at her expectantly and made golden sparks flicker from her fingertips. She wondered what she’d done.

“We look for potential,” the Dean went on. “Many of the people we bring in to test don’t pass. Their power is too limited. Others leave the school for various reasons over the course of the next three years. They lack the work ethic or the courage or the self-reflection to master a magical discipline. And of those who make it to graduation…” He sighed. “The truth is, many of your fellow students will never do much at all with magic. Perhaps it will provide a little extra warmth and light against life’s despair, but mostly they’ll use it to avoid ever holding down real jobs. I supposed I can’t blame them for that. They lack the passion to do anything more.”

“I see,” Julia said quietly. She told herself it didn’t matter, but something about the light in the room seemed to dim with his words.

“I cannot say what you will do with your magic, Miss Wicker.” The Dean hesitated, then added, “But I will say this. Your spark on that globe was one of the brightest I’ve seen. You do not lack power. And your test scores were the highest this year. You instinctively grasped not only the mechanics of magic, but the underlying logic and theory. You do not lack intelligence.”

“Thank you.”

“That may not mean anything,” the Dean went on implacably. “I cannot say if you will have the courage or the passion to accomplish more than most of my students have. But I can say that the potential is there. What you choose to do with it is up to you.”

“I won’t disappoint you.” The words spilled out of her, making her feel ridiculous.

The Dean looked startled, like he couldn’t see what he had to do with any of it, and then he nodded slightly, eyes warming. “Then I look forward to seeing your career. Now, if there’s nothing else? I really do have a lot more of you to get through.”

In the atrium outside the Dean’s office, Margo was leaning against the wall beside a tall, lanky boy. On the boy’s other side was Quentin, who jumped, eyes wide, when he saw her. 

“Jules,” he said, and then the other boy, to Julia’s bemusement, set one finger on Quentin’s lips to shush him. 

“No talking to each other until you’ve both seen the Dean.”

“Sorry,” Quentin muttered, turning bright red, but his eyes still sought out Julia’s. She gave him a discreet thumbs up.

_We’re in,_ she mouthed, and Quentin’s face lit up.

“Come on,” Margo said, pushing off the wall. “Eliot’s got to wait for your friend, but I’ll take you to see where you’ll be spending the next few months until you get your discipline.”

Julia gave Quentin a last little wave and followed Margo out into the hallway and down the steps to the campus lawn. Brakebills spilled out in her view, exactly like any other college campus, except that everywhere there were students spinning objects above their hands, students making colors and lights in the air, one student floating up to touch a tree branch far above her head. 

“It’s pretty wild at first, but you’ll get used to it,” Margo said. “Someday this will just be what the world looks like.”

“I’m sure,” Julia said, trying to sound sophisticated, but she couldn’t imagine she would ever think of magic as ordinary.


	2. Chapter 2

_“Alright, security measures in place, bellhops notified, portal opening in five.”_ Agent Andrieski sounded crisply professional over the slight fuzziness of the link, at least if you ignored the thread of disdain when she added, _“If our Agents could proceed to their positions - oh, right.”_

 _“It’s nearly eight.”_ Head Librarian Schiff’s voice always had a faint tremble to it, a prim little sound that matched her old-fashioned clothes and fluttering hands, so it was hard to tell when she was actually nervous. Kady guessed she wasn’t now. She had no idea how old the other woman really was, Neitherlands aging being weird, but she’d figure Zelda had witnessed a thousand missions and nothing rattled her.

But she and Marina were both seriously hung up about the time. _“If our operatives are unable to move into place within the next four minutes - three minutes thirty seconds - we won’t be able to ensure - “_

 _“I’ve put in another message.”_ That was Sylvia, Zelda’s assistant.

_“Excellent, but we must be prepared - “_

_“I’ll step in if Adiyodi doesn’t show - ”_

“No.” Kady just barely stopped herself from saying something rude at the thought of fucking _Gavin_ taking Penny’s place on this job. She was on the rooftop deck of a restaurant, across the street from the Nave Hotel in New York, and it wouldn’t do for anyone inside to see her arguing with no one visible. Instead, she turned her head to make it less obvious as she lifted the silver pendant tucked into her array of more expensive necklaces and hissed into it, “Penny said he’d be here and he will. Don’t send Gavin.”

_“Aw, love, I’m insulted. And we’d have so much fun too - ”_

_“Sylvia, perhaps another message - “_

_“Penny’s tracker is flickering, so he must be Traveling - “_

Kady felt the air displace behind her a second before her partner drawled, “Sorry, Gavin. Maybe next time.” 

She turned, and Penny was standing there, having Traveled in behind one of the terrace’s large potted plants. He leaned against the rail with his arms folded, as casual as if he wasn’t arriving for a Library mission almost half an hour late and without bothering to check in at headquarters first.

“You finally showed up,” she said, then raised her eyebrows. “Damn. You clean up nice, James Bond.”

Penny straightened his tuxedo jacket. “Had to run by the dry cleaners,” he said, tilting his head in the direction of the silver book-shaped pin on his lapel, a match for her necklace. “We ready to go?”

 _“Well, now that you’re here, babe.”_ Marina’s voice perked up at the start of every mission. Kady was convinced she got excited right at the moment when everything could possibly go wrong. _“Wards going down in thirty.”_

 _“Now remember,”_ Zelda chattered away on the psychic link created by their Library pins as Kady slipped in behind the plant with Penny. To the people inside the restaurant, it would look like she was having a secret tryst. _“We want this extraction to go as smoothly as possible. The Nave is full of master magicians and we don’t want anyone getting confused and trying to step in. Your target - “_

“Reynard,” Kady said. “Magician. Powerful. We did read the briefing.” She glanced at Penny with a questioning look - _Kady_ always read the briefings, Penny sometimes preferred to take a more improvisational approach - but he nodded. 

_“Magician, yes. A hedge of sorts.”_ There was an odd note in Zelda’s voice. _“The people he travels with are generally harmless minions, but watch out anyway. And remember, we aren’t trying to take him in. This is purely about the weapon he’s here to pick up. Do not touch it under any circumstances.”_

The Leo Blade. Kady remembered the picture and description from the materials she’d reviewed over and over again the night before. Some kind of fancy knife from one of the more magically-saturated, primitive worlds, the sort of place that rarely produced master magicians but where ordinary items ended up heavily enchanted. It had just looked like a regular knife to her, but what did she know about magical objects? “We’ll get it,” she said in the direction of the link.

Privately, she thought, _and_ _maybe him too_. Getting dangerous magical objects out of the hands of people who would abuse them was one of the Library’s prime missions, but Kady had picked up enough in the file to guess that Reynard himself was the bigger threat, and if she had the chance to take him down, it would be worth it.

Not that her superiors needed to know that, of course. The Library tended to get their priorities mixed up.

 _“Okay, kids, wards down,”_ Marina announced, and Kady’s adrenaline surged.

“Ready?” she said softly to Penny, grabbing his hand. Technically ride-along Traveling could be done with just a touch on the shoulder, but they’d been doing it this way for the six years of their partnership.

“Oh, yeah, always ready to play bodyguard to the one-percent,” he said.

“At least you don’t have to wear heels, and a skirt so tight your legs don’t move,” Kady said. “I hate undercover.” But she was grinning when the tattoos across Penny’s knuckles lit up and the world around them blurred.

A second later, they were standing on the Nave’s roof, outside the doors into the magical world’s most exclusive nightclub. The hotel normally banned Travelers from using magic here, but the Library’s influence was strong and the owners didn’t want the kind of trouble they could bring, so a temporary “glitch” in the anti-Traveling wards on the roof had been arranged. A yellow-suited bellhop saw them arrive, but he only nodded politely and held the doors as they stepped through.

The outside of the hotel was designed to blend in with the rest of the street, but indoors there was no mistaking that this was a magical place. Some of the signs were the subtle things you would find at any magicians’ bar, the patrons who shimmered with personal enchantments or the slightly blurry doors that were really portals to other locations. Others were too obvious to get away with except in a place this secure: the lights that floated under their own power; the cocktail that was making itself, glass and shaker floating over the head of the bartender; the bachelorette party singing “I Wanna Be Sedated” through the open doors of a private room, everyone, including some unfortunate passing waitstaff, caught up in perfect choreography thanks to a music-hath-charms spell. Penny tugged on Kady’s hand as she started to tap her feet. 

“No time for singing tonight,” he said.

She shook off the effects of the spell, thinking that it had been a long time since she’d done karaoke, and scanned the room. “Where is he?” she asked softly, trusting her psychic pendant to pick up her voice.

 _“Still in the lobby.”_ Marina didn’t bother lowering her own voice - only someone who was touching Kady’s necklace or Penny’s pin could hear her. _“You have about five minutes. Try to look natural, even if it’s difficult in that costume.”_

Kady forced herself not to wobble on her ridiculous shoes as she and Penny made their way through the crowded main room, circumventing the dance floor to an empty table. Her “character” - Zelda’s invention, a magic-school drop out and heiress obsessed with enchanted jewelry and decorative sculptures of cats - was the friendly and flirtatious type. The dossier on her background had included a Pinterest page and an online diary full of heart emojis. Kady was convinced Zelda had done this to her out of spite, though she couldn’t imagine why. That, or the Head Librarian was really a frustrated novelist.

Penny, who was playing her bodyguard for the night, didn’t have the pages of character notes “Jenna” had, but he slid into his role much more easily. “Ginger ale,” he said smoothly to the waitress who appeared beside them, helping Kady up onto her stool before taking his own. “And whatever the lady wants.”

“Just tonic water with lime.” The waitress disappeared and Kady took the opportunity to mutter “we’re in place” into the link.

 _“No shit, I’m watching you,”_ Marina said. _“Our target just met up with Delacorte. ETA three and a half minutes.”_

Kady studied the room over Penny’s shoulder, knowing he was doing the same from the other angle. There wasn’t much to see, though; it was obviously an exclusive crowd, but despite the enchantments built into the surroundings, no one but the staff and the bachelorette were doing anything that looked like magic. If this had been a hedge bar, there would have been spell books on the tables, people showing off their latest tricks, but no doubt the magicians here thought they were too good for something as gauche as actually enjoying magic.

The waitress returned, a tray with their drinks floating behind her. “Enjoy,” she said, with a too-bright smile. Kady thought her eye was on Penny and was plotting how she would use this to tease him when the girl, a short blonde with “Whitley” on her name tag, shifted her attention. “I love your hair,” she said, putting a hand on Kady’s arm. “Would you tell me what enchantment you use? I promise not to share it.” Her fingers brushed Kady’s wrist a little too obviously.

“Just good genes,” Kady said, smiling stiffly as she heard Marina snicker over the link. 

“Wow.” The girl’s eyes lingered on Kady’s for a long minute before she pulled reluctantly away. “Well, if you don’t need anything - ?” Kady shook her head - a little regretfully, because Whitley was cute, but this was work - and the girl disappeared.

Penny grinned at her across the table. Kady subtly gave him a rude gesture and he laughed into his drink. The laugh faded quickly, though, and a distracted look replaced it.

She hadn’t been joking that Penny cleaned up well - the man could pull off a tux - but he was usually more keyed-up before a job, and while he might grumble as much as all of them under semi-voluntary contracts did, he’d never been late before. She curled her fingers around her necklace to block out Marina’s ears as much as possible, then said softly, “Everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine.” She gave him a pointed look and he sighed. “Just ran late with Charlie, that’s all. Sorry.”

Charlie was Penny’s seven-year old daughter - and considering that his mother was a Librarian, it didn’t seem likely that Penny had been late for a job because he was watching his kid. But that wasn’t the kind of conversation they should have if the team had any chance of listening in.

Kady formed the thought carefully, then lowered her wards. _Alice giving you trouble?_ Talking to a psychic directly wasn’t easy if you weren’t one yourself, but they’d practiced this enough for Penny to tune in as soon as her wards were down. 

_Just moving some stuff out, and I wanted to stay until she got back from school. Didn’t want her to come back and find half my boxes gone._ Kady didn’t know what her own voice sounded like when Penny picked up her thoughts, but on her end it was like having him speaking right in her ear, but with an accompanying emotional background. She could feel irritation, with an undercurrent of sadness he wouldn’t want her to notice..

 _Are you -_ she started to think back, but at that moment Penny stiffened, and Marina said, _“Stop making out or whatever you two were doing all quietly, we’ve got company.”_

“We were not - oh, shut up.” Kady scanned the room and - there. Right at the door to the elevators, Magnus Delacorte, one of the country’s most powerful hedgewitches, was entering the room with several younger, more unassuming looking men. Kady recognized Reynard’s reddish hair and trademark sunglasses immediately. The others all wore cheaper suits and the slight wide-eyed look of people out of their depth. One of the men stood out to her, because of his height but also the stiff way he walked, head constantly turning.

“Looks like our target might have a guard,” she said as she and Penny slid off their stools and began moving casually through the crowd. Delacorte led Reynard and his companions towards a private room, where according to the briefing the Leo Blade was being held until the exchange could take place. The Nave was impenetrable even to the Library, and the owners refused to cooperate beyond the very basics, so the plan was for Kady and Penny to wait until the exchange was complete, then follow Reynard’s people onto the roof deck and grab the blade there. “Marina, can you ID that tall guy?”

 _“Sylvia’s working on it.”_ Marina turned into a professional now that the mission was underway, all traces of teasing gone. 

_“Kady, Penny, it’s possible he’s brought someone in to guard the weapon rather than himself,”_ Zelda said. _“Reynard is notorious for not trusting others, but he might have considered this a special case. Be careful.”_

 _Maybe she_ is _nervous,_ Kady thought. Zelda never gave extra warnings once a job was underway; she trusted her Agents to know what they were doing.

“If he’s here for the blade, that’s my guy,” Penny said softly. His job was to grab the blade; as a Traveler, he could get close to people too fast for them to react. Kady was supposed to keep any dangers off his back while he completed the extraction.

They split off, moving in opposite directions, Penny closer to the door into the private room, Kady back towards the exit where she’d have a clear view of Reynard and his entourage as they left. She’d barely made it past the dance floor when the doors of the room opened and Reynard exited, walking quickly, his men flanking him. 

_That was too fast_ , she thought.

 _Way too fast,_ Penny’s voice echoed back to her, and she realized she’d forgotten to replace her wards. 

Well, no time now, not in the middle of a mission. She kept an eye on the men as they worked their way quickly across the room, not looking for Penny following them. After six years of partnership, she trusted him to do his part of the job. The tall man she’d noticed earlier trailed behind the rest of the group as they passed her and went up the stairs to the exit, but he had nothing in his hand. 

“I can’t get visual on the Blade,” she said, turning to follow them. “Our mystery bodyguard doesn’t have it.”

 _“No, he wouldn’t, because I don’t think he’s a guard,”_ Marina said. _“He’s - “_

 _“Fuck!”_ Kady winced as Penny’s voice hit her from two directions, over the link through her necklace and past her lowered wards in a blast of shock. _“Delacorte’s dead. He’s - that is a shit ton of blood, I don’t know what the fuck they did to him - “_

Kady turned around, to look for Penny, and that was when the mission went south.

Bellhops poured into the room, their uniforms garish yellow beside the black fashions of the patrons. Someone screamed. Penny appeared, running from the private room, and then vanished, Traveling ahead, but Kady didn’t get the chance to see where he’d gone. At the first signs of confusion, Reynard’s men started towards the door, but the bellhops there had already reacted. Two of them stepped up to stop the men from leaving, and while one managed to easily grab a member of the entourage and subdue him, the other found himself face to face with Reynard, who raised his hand in a casual swipe. The bellhop - 

Well, Kady couldn’t say exactly what happened to him, but there was suddenly a lot of mushy clay everywhere. 

_Golems, right._ The bellhops weren’t people. Still, there were a lot of actual living people in dangerous proximity to Reynard. Kady started running as fast as her shoes would allow.

“Penny, where are you?” she yelled as she ran, not bothering to keep her voice down. More people screamed as Reynard’s group broke for the door, most of them clustering around their leader. Through the mass of them, she caught a glimpse of a silver case. “I think the guy right behind Reynard has the Blade.”

 _“On it,”_ her partner’s voice came over the link. 

_“Focus on the extraction, you’ve still got - “_

_“Get the Blade if you can, but get out.”_ Zelda cut Marina off. _“No going off the mission!”_

“Are you fucking serious?” Kady shoved her way through the doors onto the roof just a few steps behind Reynard’s group. “He’s exploding people!”

 _“He’s exploding clay, Kady!”_ Zelda’s voice was rarely this sharp, but there was no mistaking the commanding tone now. _“I forbid you to engage with him!”_

“Screw that!” Finally free of the crowds of civilians, Kady lined up a magic missile and fired, taking down the first of Reynard’s people. He dropped with a yelp and the others scattered.

_“Kady! Do not engage!”_

_“Fucking hell, Kady!”_

_“I’ll go in - “_

_“No, not yet, Gavin.”_

Kady tuned out the sounds of her team yelling at each other and focused on her targets. No matter how powerful the guy they worked for, they were clearly shit magicians. Not one of them even tried to fight back as she advanced on them, circling around the roof and firing her battle magic spells. Most tried to rush for the emergency stairs, though one turned back into the club; Kady flung up a hand and he crashed into the wall with a shout.

But where the hell had Reynard gone?

“Penny!” she called. “Where - ?”

 _“I got him.”_ She turned and saw Reynard on the other end of the roof with only two of his minions left. He had the case away from them now, held to his chest, and though his men were panicking and trying to shield him with their bodies, his expression was serene. His glasses had fallen off and Kady got the impression of something wrong about his eyes as he smiled at her across the deck, like they were old friends meeting on the street.

“Creep,” she muttered, and lined up her next spell. It would only stun him; she wanted to take him to the Library.

Before she could fire, though, Penny shimmered into view right in the way of her shot, grappling for the case. Kady nearly cramped her hand pulling back the spell in time. 

_“Kady?”_

She shook her head. “Penny’s got him. I’ll try to - “

A girl screamed, and Kady whipped around. Behind her, the tall man from earlier was running up the stairs from the club, dragging someone in front of him. It was Whitley, the cute blonde waitress, held against his chest with his hand - was that a damn _gun_ against her head?

“Let her go!” Kady yelled, and raced after him.

The tall man was very pale, his face sweaty and eyes wide as he scrambled backwards toward the edge of the roof. _What was he going to do, throw the girl over?_ Kady forced herself to move faster, ankles aching in her stupid shoes, and prepared a whiplash spell with her right hand. If she could get the aim correct, she could hit his head without coming close to Whitley or risking the gun going off.

“Stop,” the man yelled as she got closer and raised her arm. Kady didn’t pause, flinging the spell and seeing the air shift in its wake. The spell flew true, but instead of slashing up the side of the man’s face, it bounced back, and she nearly hit the ground trying to avoid the backlash.

Personal shield charm. Well, fuck.

She scrambled back to her feet as the man continued to drag Whitley towards the edge of the roof, and ran after him. He reached the edge just as she made a final lunge and caught the arm of his coat to drag him back. The world spun and - 

With a groan of pain, they smashed down onto the street in a tangle of limbs, scattering screaming people in every direction.

“Ow,” Kady groaned, rolling free of the other two. For a crazy moment, she considered that she’d just survived a fall off a fifteen-story building before the more likely option occurred. “A Traveler? Seriously?”

The tall man didn’t bother to answer, kicking his way free of the two women and racing off down the street, shoving very confused civilians in every direction.

Whitley was a few feet away, curled up in a ball. Kady staggered over to her side, pausing to snatch up the gun the man had dropped, and laid an arm on her shoulder. “You okay?”

The girl’s face was tear-streaked, but she nodded. “Who are you?”

“Library.”

Her face hardened. “Go get that fucker.”

Kady grinned. “Yes, ma’am,” she said, and ran down the street.

It wasn’t that hard to follow her target, given all the chaos he was causing as he ran, and she caught up to him quickly, especially after she conjured a fake police badge with a simple illusion spell to hold up as she ran. In Kady’s experience, magicians tended to rely too much on magic and not enough on personal fitness; she gained on him quickly. It helped that she’d lost her shoes somewhere in the fall.

Of course, why a Traveler was running in the first place…

“Marina, anything on this guy?” she called as she ran.

 _“Yeah, Kady, that’s not a guard.”_ Marina’s voice sounded strange. _“His name is John Gaines and we have no idea what he’s doing with Reynard.”_

“He’s a Traveler.”

_“Well, he sucks at it.”_

“Not helpful!” Even if she’d been thinking the same thing.

 _“He’s not a Traveler the Library’s ever tried to recruit,”_ Sylvia said. _“Maybe we should do an extraction spell on his book - “_

 _“No time.”_ Zelda’s crisp voice cut through the discussion. _“Kady, abort, immediately. I will send Penny to pick you up.”_

“No way. He could have killed that girl.” Gaines ducked around a corner and she pushed herself faster. “I’ve got him.”

It was an alley, so when she turned the corner, she had him trapped. Gaines clearly knew that, whirling around to face her with a wild expression.

“Hey, stop.” She held up the badge, and with a tap of two fingers changed the image to the book and seal of the Library. “I’m an Agent with the Order of the Neitherlands.”

“You’re a magician.” He was breathing harder than she was, shaking and sweaty. Kady sent a thought of thanks in the direction of her personal trainer, and the healer back in the Neitherlands who was going to deal with the probably tetanus-infected mess of her feet. 

“Yeah, and so are you,” she said, moving closer. The badge had done its work, so she dismissed the illusion. She still had the gun in her other hand, limiting her ability to cast, so she raised it in front of her. “Stay where you are.”

Gaines shook his head frantically. “You don’t understand. I can’t stay with him.”

“With who? Reynard?” She wasn’t about to fall for a trick, but she kept her voice calm as she moved closer, in case this was true. “That’s fine. We’ll take you in and protect you from him.”

He laughed, a little hysterically. “Protect me from - no. No, you can’t. You have no idea what he is.”

“What is he?” Over the link she could hear murmurs, like Zelda or Marina was speaking, but not close enough to their pins to be heard. “I’m happy to hear all about him.”

Gaines was still breathing hard, working himself into a panic - and then suddenly he stilled. “No,” he said. His eyes dropped from her face to the gun in her hand. “That’s mine.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not handing it over.”

He raised his eyes slowly back to meet hers. “I could make you.”

“Give it your best shot.” Kady shifted into a shooting stance, slowing her breathing. She might not be the expert in firearms she was with battle magic, but the principle was the same. Eyes on the target, aim straight, don’t panic. The gun was oddly warm in her hand, her palms slick with sweat.

Gaines shook his head. “I won’t hurt you.”

“Good to know.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, and then Kady felt something shift inside her head.

***

One minute, the target was there, standing with the case containing the Leo Blade in his hands. Penny saw the look of surprise flash through Reynard’s creepy yellow eyes as he appeared. He grinned as he swatted Reynard’s remaining minions away with a fainting spell and reached for the case. It was always fun to use his Traveling to scare the shit out of someone who really deserved it.

Reynard made a sound that was closer to a growl than Penny had ever heard in a human being, and released the case with one hand to take a swing. There was a brief struggle, Penny’s hands on the case while Reynard clawed at him, and then - 

And then Reynard and the case were gone, and it was Penny standing with his mouth open and no idea what happened.

_“Penny! Do you have the Blade?”_

“No.” Penny lunged to peer over the side of the building. Reynard hadn’t jumped, had he? “Wait.” Down on the street below, Penny caught a glimpse of a familiar figure, reddish hair and a silver case glinting in the streetlights. “I’ve got him.” It took just a thought and he was down on the street as well, but Reynard was already gone. “Where did he go?”

A young man with a bike stood frozen, shocked by Penny appearing in front of him. Penny grabbed his arm, not worried about what a civilian would make of this. Residents of New York saw shit like this every day and talked themselves out of believing it. “Did you see a guy? Beard, carrying a silver case?”

“Weird eyes?” The kid nodded. “Yeah, he went that way.” Penny started moving before he’d finished pointing, ducking around a few late-night tourists. 

A block ahead, he glimpsed a familiar figure, but as he neared him, the man turned, revealing Reynard’s familiar face, then vanished.

“Dammit! I think he’s a Traveler.”

 _“Lot of that going around.”_ Marina sounded irritated. _“Kady said Gaines is too.”_

“I’ll try to - wait, what about Kady?” He turned to look back up at the hotel’s roof. “Where is she?”

_“She went after Gaines. Do you have visual on Reynard?”_

“Not yet. Kady?” His partner didn’t answer. “Is she checking in?”

 _“She did a second ago.”_ Zelda _. “Penny, we need to to secure the Blade if we can - “_

“Yeah, screw that.” Penny tuned out the team and dropped his wards with a thought, reaching out for a mind almost as familiar to him as his own. Kady’s wards had been down all through the fight; he’d been aware of her like a hum at the back of his brain the whole time, just enough to let him know she was alive and fighting and angry - so, basically, just Kady. But now when he reached for her, he couldn’t feel anything he recognized - not the sharp, intense spear of her focus during a job, and not the smooth, impenetrable barrier of her wards either. 

Except… “East, a mile or so?” he asked. He could feel something there, something almost like Kady, but dulled and blurry, like she was under some kind of tranquilizer. 

_“Penny, the Blade - “_

“Marina. Can you see her?”

There was a too-long moment of silence, then Marina said. _“Three blocks east, one north. She’s with Gaines.”_ In the background, Zelda protested.

Penny had no idea who Gaines was, and didn’t care. Kady could more than handle herself in any fight, but not with her mind dulled like that. He gave a last look down onto the street in the direction where Reynard had disappeared, then focused on that sedated-feeling mind, closed his eyes, and Traveled.

He heard the gunshot just as he landed.

Kady was there, standing with her back to him and a gun in her hand. A man who Penny vaguely recognized from the fight back the club lay at her feet. 

“Kady?” He took a cautious step closer . The man on the ground was clearly dead, and after a quick glance to confirm, Penny put him out of his mind. Dead people weren’t his job; his partner was. He touched her shoulder carefully, and she jumped, whirling around, gun up. “Whoa! Just me!”

Kady was breathing hard, pale, eyes too wide. “What - Penny? Shit!” Some clarity returned to her eyes and she quickly lowered the gun. “What happened?”

“I was gonna ask you that.” Penny glanced down carefully at the body on the ground, then back to her face.

Kady followed his look, and her eyes widened further. “I have no - what?” Her forehead scrunched up, like she was in pain. “Gaines - there was something with my wards - and then I think he came at me. Did I shoot him?”

“Maybe.” He took a cautious step closer to her, noticing that she was shaking all over. Kady tended to crash hard when the adrenaline from a job wore off, but he’d never seen her like this in the field. “Hey, you okay?”

“Yeah.” She took a deep breath, and he could almost see her center herself, pulling on a battle magician’s training. “I’m fine. I just don’t know what the fuck happened.”

Penny was about to say that the explanation she’d already given seemed damned good to him, but at that moment there was an ungodly shriek from the end of the street. He turned and Reynard was there, face twisted with rage. He pointed at them, mouth opening to bare freakishly sharp teeth.

Kady went for the gun. Over the link, Zelda yelled, _“Out of there, now!”_

Penny didn’t wait for more orders. He grabbed his partner and vanished.


	3. Chapter 3

Julia’s alarm went off at five-thirty, bolting her awake, the last whispery trail of her dreams fading. For a moment, she was disoriented, stuck somewhere in the haunted lair of a dead god, with wails of mourning and the clatter of tin drums in her ears - and then she realized the wailing was actually the cheerful blare of “Robot Rebellion” threatening to make her already aching head explode. She lunged across the bed, only managing to send her phone skittering out of reach. Still fumbling with bleary eyes, she heard a crash, got her legs tangled in the sheets, and went tumbling off the bed to land with an awkward thump on her hip.

“Fucking… whatever day this is.” She finally got a hold of the phone and checked the screen. It was Wednesday, and with that, the last eerie discomfort of her dream vanished, replaced with mundane dread.

Wednesday, as in her least favorite day of the week, as in the day that the McAllister Corporation held its morning all-hands staff meeting. The thought made her head hurt worse.

She climbed to her feet and surveyed the wreckage. The phone was okay, her hip was probably going to bruise, and the crash she’d heard turned out to be her lamp falling over. The lamp itself had survived, though when she righted it she discovered the bulb had not. Fragile, shattered glass covered her nightstand. 

Her fingers twitched, curling into the beginnings of a spell. The faded brand at the base of her palm ached and her head pounded with the lingering memory of her dream.

The lamp was a problem for the future. Julia went to shower.

Her SoHo loft was trendy, but old, and the pipes should have been replaced a decade back. The last time her friends had crashed here after a night out, Margo had offered a modified heating spell - “you wouldn’t even have to cast it, I could make it free-standing” - but Julia had refused. So now she shivered through her shower, which kept her from lingering under the spray and forgetting the morning ahead of her. 

Then there was the curling iron with the bent handle that kept tangling in her hair. The mascara brush that unscrewed itself as she was applying her makeup and left a black streak down her face. The heel on her favorite shoe that broke for no reason at all. By the time she was standing at her kitchen counter, trying to glare her coffee maker into filling her travel mug at a rate faster than one drip per minute, she was ready to give up on the whole day, call in sick, and crawl back under the covers.

Instead, she unplugged the machine, grabbed the mug and stared at the half-inch of dark roast in the bottom. “Okay,” she said, (out loud, to herself; maybe Quentin was right and she should get a cat for company), “this morning requires Josh’s help.”

Josh’s bakery, the Stonery, was on her way to work, and her friends-and-family perks included the right to skip the morning line. Julia switched out her heels for sneakers, gathered up her laptop and the binder of spells she’d left out when she finally went to bed at three a.m., and shoved it all in her bag. She gave a moment’s thought to the rest of the mess in her living room, the detritus of her night of no sleep, then decided that, too, could wait, and headed out. 

It was a bright enough morning for sunglasses but so early that the summer heat hadn’t begun to bake the city. Julia lit her first cigarette of the day and felt her mood begin to improve for reasons other than the nicotine. There was no reason to assume today was going to be terrible, she decided. She had an espresso with a shot of something extra and one of Josh’s cherry-vanilla-cinnamon scones waiting for her. She might be running on no sleep, but she’d finished the portal stabilizing spell last night, so Irene would not be able to find anything to complain about at the staff meeting. Even passing the red door that marked the maintenance entrance to her building where Eliot had hidden a portal to his own West Village condo, a sight that usually filled her with a sort of incoherent frustration, didn’t disturb her. 

Today wasn’t going to suck at all. Today Julia was going to keep her shit together and have a good - 

“Jules!”

She turned automatically in the direction of the voice calling her name. The angle of the sun was just right to temporarily blind her, and by the time she blinked and saw who was approaching, it was too late to slip around a corner or into that Starbucks or to give in and cast an illusion charm. One of the joggers had already picked up speed and was cutting around the other pedestrians to catch up to her. She saw his broad shoulders and confident wave and thought _oh fuck._

Nothing to improve an absolutely fine, definitely-not-going-to-suck morning than a meeting with your ex.

“Hey!” James was panting lightly as he stopped in front of her, pulling off his glasses to hook them in the collar of his t-shirt. “Jules! It’s so good to see you!” His smile was wide and totally guileless, like on his side of the dividing line of their latest and last breakup there really _was_ nothing better than this meeting.

“James. Yeah, you too.” There was an awkward moment when they sort of hovered with their upper bodies leaning towards each other before James gave in with a huff of laughter and pulled her into a hug. Julia allowed it, breathing in his too-expensive cologne and shampoo. She patted him on the back with one hand, holding up the other so her cigarette wouldn’t light his hair on fire. It was a relief when he let her go.

“You look great!” he said, a little too brightly. His eyes flickered towards the cigarette, and Julia fought the urge to toss it away, like she was fourteen and her mother had just caught her with stolen menthols. “How have you been?”

How to answer that question. Julia never knew anymore. 

“I’m great,” she decided on. There were things she should say now, normal, polite-small-talk type things. “And you’re jogging. Morning workouts, that’s virtuous of you.”

“Well, we’re trying.” He ducked his head a little bashfully, like the apple watch on his wrist wouldn’t reflect the heart rate of someone who never missed a workout. “Are you on your way to work? Still with, um - “ 

And there it was, that little conspiratorial smile, the boyish dimples and sparkle in his eyes that he got whenever he talked about magic. 

“I’m still with Irene McAllister,” she said.

“That woman has a reputation. I mean, even with us normals. No one knows what she does, but my boss met her at a mixer last year and he said she’s - “ He shivered dramatically. 

“Pretty accurate. And you’re still at Alton & Kay, right?” 

“Yeah. On track for partner, or so they tell me.” He held up crossed fingers, like there had ever been any doubt.

“I’m really happy for you.” She meant it, too. She’d always wanted James to be happy.

James’ smile softened into something a little more natural, and for a moment Julia thought they would pull this off. Just two exes with a breakup far enough in the past that they could… not laugh at it, maybe, but smile around it and go on their ways with slightly warmer feelings about the whole situation. A few more chance encounters like this and maybe he’d follow her on Instagram or she could stop cringing when her sister tried to drag her to parties where she knew he’d be.

And then a woman popped up next to him, all bright blue eyes and an incredibly wide smile. “Hi, there! You got away from me!” she said. She beamed up at James. Who put his arm around her shoulder and smiled back down at her and - oh. Of course. Because a run-in with her ex wasn’t enough.

“You caught up,” James told the woman, beaming just as much down at her. “So, Fen. This is Julia.”

“Oh, wow!” Incredibly, the woman’s face lit up even brighter, like a cartoon character’s. “Julia! I’ve heard so much about you!”

“Huh.” Julia gave James a wide-eyed look, but if he thought there was anything odd in this scenario, he didn’t show it. “Well, I'm glad to meet you.” She paused. “I hope James says good things.” 

“Oh, he does.” Fen appeared to be an extremely earnest person. “But I didn’t mean just from him. I’ve heard about you through - “ she paused, then, much like James a few minutes earlier, leaned in closer. “Through the McAllister Corporation,” she said. 

“Uh - “ Julia looked between the two of them, bewildered. Surely she wasn’t - “You’re a magician?”

“Oh, no.” Fen laughed a little too hard. “No, not me. Though my father - well, no need to get into that.”

“Fen is the vice president of the Fillorians United Council,” James said. “She’s working on a joint venture with your company.”

“Oh.” Julia stared at the smiling young woman in front of her, suddenly disoriented and wishing her cigarette hadn’t burned out. “You’re Fillorian.”

“Native born,” Fen said. “Though we immigrated when I was a kid, during the Dark Times. So I grew up on Earth.”

“Of course.” Julia’s voice sounded oddly distant to her own ears.

“And now that Fillory has healed, the Council is working to restore our people’s access to the Wellspring, and easier travel between worlds. Ms. McAllister has been very helpful with that.”

“I’m sure she has.” The portal spell in her bag suddenly felt like it was weighing her whole arm down. “Well, I really need to get - “

“She’s helped us come to an agreement with the Library to allow a permanent portal, right here in New York! And I’m part of the project to establish it, so maybe we’ll get to - “

“I’m sorry, I have to go.” Julia shifted her bag on her shoulder. “It was nice to meet you. James, I’ll - I’ll see you. Sometime.”

“Nice to meet you too!” If Fen noticed that Julia was rushing off, it didn’t show. 

James, on the other hand, looked slightly guilty, taking a step towards her. “Do you really have to go? Maybe we could have coffee.” He smiled at her again, the smile she’d seen a million times in the last few months before she ended things with him, that look of slightly judgemental concern. “You can’t be going to work this early. Please tell me you aren’t still doing twelve hour days on caffeine and cigarettes.”

It was stupid, because intense focus and work ethic had been what brought them together in the first place. She could easily have said she had to get in for an early meeting, and it wouldn’t have been James’s business to object.

But instead, she looked at him, with his clean-living smile and his happy girlfriend, and what came out of her mouth was something else entirely.

***

“I told him I was seeing someone. And that I had to hurry because I was meeting them for breakfast. And then I - I ran.” Julia ripped a piece off her scone, then dropped it and reached for her cigarettes instead. “It suddenly occurred to me that he was going to ask who ‘someone’ was and I didn’t have a name. I didn’t have a gender! I had nothing!” She lit the cigarette and stared across the little table outside the Stonery. “What the fuck was I supposed to say?”

“Oh, I’m sure you could have made something up.” Victoria didn’t seem very invested in this story, probably because Julia had found her loitering by the counter inside her boyfriend’s shop when she arrived, and had dragged her over to the outdoor seating to listen to the whole James saga after placing her order. Victoria didn’t work at the Stonery, just hung around there between her mysterious Traveling jobs so she could see Josh, so Julia had figured she had the time. 

“That’s the thing, though.” Julia leaned forward, taking a drag on her cigarette. “I have no idea why I even said any of that. It’s not like I care that James is dating someone.” Victoria raised an eyebrow. “I don’t! I mean it’s been… shit, almost two years? Obviously he’d be seeing someone or - I mean, I’ve - oh, shut up.” 

Vi finally cracked a smile. “I’m surprised at you, Jules. I wouldn’t have pegged you for the jealous type.”

“I’m not.” Even she could hear that her voice was coming out too strident. “It’s just… it was that woman, was all.”

“What about her?”

“She was - “ 

“Pretty?”

“No. I mean, yes, but I don’t care about that. She was - friendly, and happy. And totally excited to meet me. Who’s like that?”

“Not you,” Vi said, maybe a little too firmly. “So I guess James doesn’t have a type.”

“God, no, apparently not.” Julia couldn’t help laughing. “Except for the part where she’s Fillorian.” And that killed the laughter fast.

Vi made a face; her associations with Fillory weren’t much better than Julia’s. “I guess that part’s weird,” she admitted.

“Right? Going from dating a magician to an actual alien?” Fen had said she wasn’t a magician, but all Fillorians had a little magic to them; it was in the goddamned air they breathed, along with the opium. “It just made me feel like….”

She trailed off, not really wanting to go there, at least not with Victoria. Vi, if she’d run into an ex on the street, would not have had to make up a story to sound like less of a mess, because Vi’s life always sounded amazing. 

“If she was a normal girl,” she said finally, “I wouldn’t have minded.”

“Sure.” Vi didn’t sound like she really got it, though, and there was no mistaking the look of relief on her face as she glanced over Julia’s shoulder. “Oh, good, coffee.”

Josh appeared beside them, in his Stonery apron and with two mugs in hand. “Americano and Cappuccino, both with one expresso shot and one something extra.” He gave Julia a little grin. “As always, I won’t tell you what that is.”

“As long as it keeps me going,” Julia said. 

“So what are we talking about?” Josh pulled over a chair from one of the other tables. “The lines are slowing down and I have a few minutes. Any good gossip?”

“Julia just found out about Fen,” Victoria said.

“Oh, shit. I’m sorry, Jules.”

Julia stared between her friends. “Wait, I didn’t tell you - “ She set the cup down. “How did you know her name?” Her eyes narrowed. “You _knew_ James was seeing someone?”

“He mentioned it at the poker game.”

The poker game was a weekly tradition James and some of his college buddies got up to every Thursday night. James had invited Josh and Quentin to join him back when he and Julia were together, Josh because of the recreational snacks he could bring, and Quentin because once he was blitzed he was willing to cheat on James’ behalf “as long as it’s against Wall Street assholes.” Julia had assured both her friends, when she and James broke up, that it was okay for them to keep attending.

“Josh,” she asked carefully. “Does James ever ask you about me?”

“Well - I mean - yes? But just in a, a friendly way. You know? And we always say you’re doing great! I do, anyway. Q is, you know, not as good at, um - “

_At lying_. He’d walked his way right into that one, but Julia let it go. “Has he ever asked if I’m seeing someone?”

Josh got a deer-in-the-headlights expression on his face. “Uh… do you want the answer to be yes?”

She sighed. “So he knows I’m not. That’s just great.”

Josh looked bewildered. Victoria just rolled her eyes. “Relax, Jules, he’ll probably just think it’s someone new.” Her phone buzzed on the table and she checked it. “That’s a job. I’ve got to go.” She stood up, bending down to kiss her boyfriend, then patted Julia’s head. “If you want, we’ll pretend you're our third when he asks!” she said. Julia flipped her off, and the other girl, laughing, Traveled away. A few of the magicians sitting at the tables around them glanced over with startled expressions when she vanished, but none of the normals even twitched, the result of another spell.

Left alone, Josh smiled at Julia, though he was blushing a little as he said, “We don’t really have thirds. Not regular ones, anyway.”

“Still too much information.” She picked up her coffee again. “Can I ask you something? Do you think my life is pathetic?”

“Are you serious? You’re one of my most successful friends.”

That was true, though when Julia saw Josh here at the bakery, or Quentin in his bookshop, the kind of easy happiness they had surrounded by their work and their magic, she wondered. Even Eliot, who complained dramatically about teaching at Brakebills every time she saw him, was settled now in a way Julia couldn’t imagine feeling. 

“But you’re all - “ _Happy_ , really, was what she was thinking, but she settled for “in relationships.”

“Well, Margo’s single…ish.” They both made a face at the confusing situation that was Margo’s love life. Josh shrugged. “You don’t need that to be happy, Julia. Unless you want it?”

She didn’t, exactly. Not in the way that her mother wanted it for her, or MacKenzie. Not in the way James had wanted it for both of them. A partner wouldn’t fix her. 

“Happy, right,” she said, and forced a smile. “Hey, does this friendly pep-talk come with a second coffee for the road? I’ve got to get into the office.”

The best thing about Josh as a listener was that he knew when the conversation should be over. “Coming right up,” he said. “I’d say on the house, but I intend to bilk my most successful friend out of all that hard earned cash.” He gathered up the empty cups and plates, and paused. “And hey, Jules. Fen seems cool.” He looked a little uncomfortable, probably because he was admitting he’d met the woman. “But James definitely didn’t upgrade with her, you know?”

“Thanks,” she said, and smiled. “For the coffee.”

***

“As you can see, with the use of the lunar stabilizing spell, we can ensure that the portal remains viable even when circumstances between dimensions are in opposition to each other. Any questions?” Julia put on her best professional smile, resisting the urge to turn around and check her presentation one more time for typos or having the wrong color scheme. Irene was particular about things like that. But considering she was standing at the head of the main conference room on the top floor of The McAllister Corporation’s uptown office building, in front of the entire senior leadership team, it was a little late to fix those mistakes anyway.

At the other end of the table, Irene McAllister, President and CEO of the corporation and Julia’s boss, scanned the room. “Impressive work, Julia. If no one has anything to add - “

“I do.” A gruff older man leaned forward across the table, ignoring the way Irene’s expression stiffened. Edwin McAllister, Irene’s uncle, didn’t usually bother to show up for these meetings. “This is an impressively complex spell,” he said. “Seems like it will take a skilled magician to pull it off.”

“Well, we have a lot of those,” Julia said. Several people around the room laughed. 

“Oh, sure, sure,” Edwin agreed. “It will take a team. But I think the lead caster will have to be someone familiar with these principles. Say, didn’t you do your Brakebills dissertation along these lines?”

So much for not naming the spell she’d drawn her entire plan around. “I did. As for the lead caster, I’m sure Irene wants to make that decision herself.” Edwin couldn’t argue with that, at least not in front of the whole staff. “Anyone else?”

The morning meeting finally wrapped up a few minutes later. Julia grabbed her laptop and headed for the door, ducking to avoid catching Irene’s eye. She knew her presentation had gone well; she also knew Irene would want to speak with her, especially after Edwin’s question, but Irene didn’t like to be seen chasing after her employees. Julia managed to escape down the hall to her own office while the rest of her co-workers were lingering to pick up coffee and discuss the presentations. It was only a temporary reprieve, but if she was lucky, Irene would be booked for the day and not able to find time to harangue her until later.

Her assistant, Shoshanna, jumped up from her desk in the anteroom outside Julia’s office as soon as Julia appeared. “Good morning!” she said. “Your schedule for the day is set, and I sent the alerts to your phone. One of the VPs wanted a last minute meeting, and I told her no way, because you were busy, but her assistant insisted. Let me know if you want to cancel and I will go tell him in no uncertain terms that your time is valuable and you aren’t wasting it on pointless meetings.” She paused for a breath. “Also, I left some tea on your desk. Chamomile. It’s supposed to be calming.”

“Good morning to you too, Shoshanna.” This version of Shoshanna was toned down from the girl Julia had brought back from Fillory all those years ago. That Shoshanna, the acolyte of a dead god, had wanted to worship Julia in his place; this one just passionately defended the free time on Julia’s calendar. “Why do I need calming tea?”

“Because of your schedule being thrown off.” Shoshanna followed Julia into her office. “And because you had your meeting with Irene, and I know how you feel about… well, Irene.”

“I mostly escaped her attention this time. It was Edwin who was poking at me.” She sank down at her desk, picking up the styrofoam cup of tea for a sip. Maybe it _would_ be soothing. “He liked my presentation for the Fillory Portal Project. Speaking of which…” She eyed her assistant over the rim of her cup. “How would you feel about working on that? I was thinking, if you didn’t object, I would offer your services.”

Direct portals between worlds, bypassing the Neitherlands and the Library’s restrictions, were a new concept, both because of the stranglehold the Library had kept on interdimensional travel for the last few generations and because the magic to do so had been lost. Julia had spent most of her career puzzling out the details of the second problem; she knew almost nothing about the political negotiations behind the first. But now the code had been cracked, the spell - built around the new and still controversial Waugh-Wicker Interdimensional Portalling Protocols - was ready, and the McAllisters had been given permission to create the first direct world-to-world portal, right in the middle of Central Park.

_Maybe they think no one will notice all the Fillorian natives wandering around the park_ , she thought. _Hide the aliens in plain sight._

“Of course!” the alien in front of her said. Shoshanna was always eager to do more to make Julia look good to the company. “Is that why you’re meeting with Ms. Hanson this morning?”

Julia blinked. “I’m what?”

“I told you, Todd wouldn’t take no for an answer, but if you want, I will go back and tell him you have no time to meet with - “

“Me.” With her usual dramatic timing, Margo swept into the room. “And she has plenty of time. Her schedule is open all morning. Todd checked.”

Shoshanna jumped to her feet. “Todd was going through the schedule?” She looked ready to rush out to her desk and stop him, with force if necessary. Julia’s assistant and Margo’s had a long-running rivalry.

“Oh, relax, it’s all online anyway.” Margo patted Shoshanna on the shoulder. “We won’t need anything else.” 

The dismissal was obvious, but Shoshanna still waited until Julia gave her a little nod before slipping out of the room. Julia heard her yelling “Todd!” before the door closed behind her.

“I’m pretty sure those two are banging,” Margo said as she took the seat Shoshanna had vacated. “No one gets that upset with anyone they aren’t seeing in a biblical manner.”

“Lovely,” Julia said. “Do you have a reason for being here besides gossiping about our assistants’ personal lives?”

“I do.” Margo took a moment to settle herself in her seat, crossing those legs that always seemed twice as long as they actually were, before fixing Julia with a firm stare. They might have all walked away from Fillory, but Margo had never stopped thinking of herself as a queen on a throne. “What the fuck was that with Edwin this morning?” she asked.

“No idea what you’re talking about.” Julia picked up her tea and sat back in her chair. “He seemed pleased with my work.”

“Well, obviously. It’s brilliant.” Margo threw out the compliment like it was self-evident. “He wants you to be the lead caster on the project.”

“Not interested.”

“No shit, which is why I told him to let me talk to you first. Men can’t even get the simplest things right. You have to do it.”

“I really don’t. It’s in my contract, remember?” That had been Irene’s one concession when Julia was hired as a metacomposer - she would write spells to Irene’s specifications, but she didn’t have to do any casting herself. Irene had muttered about “wasted talents” but Julia’s reputation made her a coup for the company anyway, and so she’d agreed.

“You have to for yourself,” Margo said. “You’re stuck, Jules. Professionally and personally.” 

“I’m happy with my life.”

Margo snorted. “I’m not even touching that one. You know I let Quentin handle the emotional crap. I’m worried about your job security, Julia. You think you’re always going to be the best knowledge student Brakebills ever produced? El says there are three coming up in the second year class right now who blow you out of the water.”

Julia ignored the slight twinge to her pride - Margo was exaggerating. Probably. “I am not going to cast a portal spell, _to Fillory_ , Margo.”

“Not even for me?” Margo leaned forward, elbows on her knees. “Edwin is just the cock with the fancy title. I’m the one who spent an entire fucking year working out the terms of this deal with the Library. A year, Julia, stuck in a conference room with a bunch of Librarians. These people literally do not know that colors other than grey exist, and I endured that. And you know why? Because this project is going to make me. I’m taking Edwin’s job in the next two years if I have to write up his retirement terms myself. So sue me if I want this to go right, and for that to happen, I need the best magician I’ve ever met on my team.” A muscle near her eye twitched, like admitting that much had caused her physical pain. “Can’t you at least consider that?”

Julia took a slow sip of her tea. “Wow. Even when I know you’re just trying to manipulate me, I feel it. You really are the best negotiator this company has.”

Margo dropped the earnest expression and sat back. “So, you’ll do it.”

Julia sighed. Margo _was_ her friend, even if it had always been a relationship with sharp edges built in. “The spell is good,” she said. “Anyone could cast it.” She held up a hand to stall Margo’s protests. “And if you want, I will join your team as a supervisor.” She shook her head. “I’m sorry, Margo, that’s the best I can do.”

Her friend gave her a long, measuring look. “Alright. If that’s all I can get.” She stood up, smoothing her skirt down. “I’ll let Edwin know.” She turned away, then paused, glancing back. 

“What?” Julia asked, pretending to turn her attention to some papers scattered on her desk. She knew what was coming next. 

“Your career isn’t my business,” Margo said slowly. “And neither is your personal life. Yes, Josh texted me. Don’t get your panties in a twist with him over it.” Julia gritted her teeth but kept her mouth shut. “You need something, Julia. I don’t care what it is. Work, a vacation, a good fuck. Something. You can’t keep living like this.”

There was just enough concern in her friend’s voice to make Julia squirm, but she put on her blandest smile. “Okay, thanks Margo. I’ll take that under advisement.”

Margo rolled her eyes, muttered “I don’t know why I bother,” and stalked out the door. Julia heard her yelling for Todd as she passed Shoshanna’s desk.

Her assistant appeared in Margo’s place a second later. “So?” she asked. “Are we on the Fillory project?”

Julia got up and went to the small, framed map of New York hanging on the back wall of the room. It was the only magical item in her otherwise very ordinary office, set alongside her Columbia and Brakebills diplomas and a cluster of pictures of her friends. She touched it lightly with one finger, and the map lit up, flashing gold sigils flickering across its surface. It wasn’t identical to the spell she’d seen on Dean Fogg’s globes all those years ago, not keyed to individual magicians, but the principle was the same. The shimmers flashed all over the city before centering on the Park, where the foundations for the portal were already being laid.

“Yeah,” she said. “We’re on the Fillory project.”


	4. Chapter 4

“Stop fussing,” Kady said as he led her out of the infirmary. “My feet are fine.”

“You sure?” Penny teased. “Because I could give you a piggy-back…?”

Kady shoved his shoulder. “Shut up.”

“And the other thing?” he asked. He waved a hand vaguely around his head. “Your wards?”

“I feel stupid for that,” she admitted. Penny pretended to stagger with shock. “Ugh, stop it. But seriously. I shouldn’t have brought them down during a case.” She looked deeply uncomfortable. “It was… a risk.”

If he hadn’t distracted her with his personal issues during the job, none of this would have happened, but she wouldn’t take an apology from him any better than she would give one. “We won’t do it again. But you’re… alright, with all that?” 

She scowled at him. “I told you, I was freaked out when I saw that I ki - when I saw that guy’s body and I couldn’t figure out what happened to him. Especially since I could swear he did something before I blacked out and I have no idea what. But I’m more interested in what kind of magic he had that could mess with my head like that.”

“Maybe Schiff will tell us.” She was lying about not caring about the man she’d killed, but there was no point in pushing it. Kady after a fight, even one that had gone well, was jittery and explosive; Kady after this fight might kill _him_ if he pushed her. 

“Did Zelda sound pissed when she summoned us?” she asked. They were making their way up from the infirmary in the basement to the Head Librarian’s office. 

“Don’t know, don’t care,” he said. Zelda had wanted to see them as soon as Penny Traveled them both back to the Neitherlands, but Penny had told Marina, who was relaying the message, that any debriefing could wait until the healers had checked his partner out, and Zelda could come down and argue with him herself if she thought it was so important. 

“Ah, Kady, Penny, good. You’re here.” The Head Librarian could be a freakishly quiet woman, considering she walked around on stiletto heels with quick little taps. Penny hadn’t heard her approach until she was standing there. “Come into my office, please.”

A lot of the Library was dim and industrial, but Zelda’s personal office was decorated in a softer style, with paneled walls and expensive furniture. Most of the Head Librarians did something similar, but Zelda had added personal touches - most prominently, a picture of a young girl, smiling as she sat on the edge of the Earth Fountain, displayed on her desk. Zelda never talked about the picture, but rumor was the girl was her daughter. 

“Sit down,” she said, pointing them towards the two cushy chairs in front of her desk before making her way around to the other side. “You are well, I presume?” It sounded like a formality, but her eyes were concerned as they landed on Kady. 

“I’m fine.” Kady slouched down in her chair, swinging her still-bare feet up onto Zelda’s desk. The Head Librarian’s eyebrows twitched, and she primly adjusted her glasses, but she didn’t object. 

“Good. Penny was most… insistent that you be seen to. I do hope you appreciate your partner’s loyalty.”

“Eh, he’s alright.”

“Say that next time you want me to blip you home so you can skip the lines at the Earth Fountain,” Penny said. “Or to watch one of your dumb musicals.”

“You love my musicals.”

Zelda watched their exchange with rapidly blinking eyes. “Well, good,” she said, and cleared her throat. “Let’s begin.”

Kady slid even further down in her chair, folding her arms. Her fists, hidden from Zelda’s view, clenched, tension and release, a sign that she was working herself up to an argument. Penny always enjoyed that, sometimes even when it was an argument with him. The effect was only slightly ruined by the slinky red dress she was still wearing. 

“Great,” she said. “‘Cause I have questions.”

“I will be happy to answer them.” Zelda opened a leather folder on her desk. “So. We approached this mission with a simple objective: retrieve the Leo Blade. That objective failed.” She glanced up at them. “We also had an opportunity to apprehend a known person of interest, Reynard Fox, though that was not our primary purpose or recommended by the Committee. In any case, also a failure. And, of course, we negotiated a delicate arrangement with the Nave Hotel, whose proprietors have always been reluctant to work with us. I would say we proved their reluctance justified.” She folded her hands on her desk. “All in all, agents, this was not our most successful mission. Do you have anything to say about that?”

“I do,” Penny said. “How about that your intel on this job sucked?”

“Excuse me?”

“We didn’t go in expecting killers,” he said. “Or that many people. Or fucking Travelers.” Zelda’s long fingers moved restlessly - she didn’t like profanity, but again she didn’t say anything. “We’re your best. So maybe when it’s our case that blows up in your face, consider that it’s the information that’s the problem.”

Zelda gave him her pursed-lip stare for another long moment, then turned to Kady. “Do you have anything to add to your partner’s… assessment?”

“Just one thing. The bastard who controlled my mind. Think he might have had something to do with our night going sideways?”

“Yes, well, as I understand it, there was blame on both ends there.” But that was apparently as sharp as Zelda intended to get. She closed her eyes, taking a breath. “As you say, there were extenuating circumstances. Including Mr. Gaines. The Library was aware of him, but we had no reason to believe he would be present tonight. For that, I am sorry.” While they were both staring - Zelda _never_ apologized - she went on, “You are the best, as you say. Which is why your failure tonight is of such concern. We - myself, and the Director, who has taken an interest - we believe that Reynard is simply too dangerous to send Agents after. So we are pulling you from his case, and from now on only master magicians will be allowed to pursue him.”

“Wait - no, you can’t do that!” Kady’s feet thumped to the ground and Penny winced. If Zelda had wanted to head off a blow up, this was not the way. “This is our case, and we know the dangers now.”

“You really don’t.” Zelda’s expression was unusually somber. “I was remiss in allowing you anywhere near Reynard. You will be reassigned to a new case once one is available. In the meantime - “

“No fucking way.” Kady cut through her objections, and brushed off Penny when he tried to reach for her arm. “This isn’t fair. You aren’t benching us.”

“That isn’t your call. You of all people saw today how dangerous Reynard’s associates are.”

“Because I - “ Kady closed her eyes, blowing out a slow breath. “Because my wards were down.”

Zelda’s expression softened. “Even if they hadn’t been, it is quite possible Mr. Gaines could have broken through.”

That gave Kady pause - and Penny too, because in almost ten years of being a trained psychic, he’d never met a magician who could get through wards like Kady’s. 

“Are you at least going to tell us who he is?” he asked. “Or was, I guess?”

“He was Reynard’s son.” Zelda gave a little nod at their expressions. “So you see, removing you from this case is not merely about the danger. Reynard saw both of you tonight. He will blame you for his son’s loss - irrationally, yes, I know - and so it is simply too dangerous to put you in his range. You will be reassigned.”

Kady blew out a breath. Penny waited for her to argue, but instead she said, “He wanted out. Gaines. I don’t know what happened, but he must have provoked me on purpose, or forced me to - he was willing to die to get away from Reynard.”

“Yes, well, take that as your warning.” Zelda closed her folder. “If there is nothing else - “

“No,” Kady said, surprising him, but Penny agreed, “No, I think we’re done here,” and Zelda smiled.

“Excellent. Then you may return to your homes. An extra seventy-two hours, Earth time, I think? And then report for reassignment.” She blinked at them a few more times. “Go on. Oh, and Kady? Please make sure Mr. Gaines’ gun is turned in for analysis.”

Kady barely waited for the door to close before grabbing Penny’s arm and pulling him around the corner into the lobby leading towards the exit. The Neitherlands didn’t really have a normal workday cycle, considering the Library’s employees were functioning on the time zones of a dozen planets, but there was an ebb and flow to the passage of Agents in and out of the building, and right now it was quiet and empty.

“This is bullshit,” she said.

“It is,” Penny agreed. “But for once, the bullshit worked out in our favor, so maybe tone it down?”

Kady stared at him. “You hate being benched.”

“I… yeah.” No one hated being out of the field more than Kady, but Penny was pretty close. The Library’s walls were covered in anti-Traveler wards, and being stuck there always made him feel like he was suffocating. But… “She said it would take master magicians. That’s not us. Now do you want a ride back to New York?”

Kady blew out a frustrated breath. Penny knew her attitude was probably half her usual post-mission adrenaline crash, and half whatever she was feeling about Gaines that she wasn’t going to tell him about. “Fine. You can enjoy the vacation time if you want. But I’m not just letting this go.”

“Wouldn’t expect you to.” He started walking towards the exit. Supposedly the Library’s ban on Traveling within their buildings was a security measure, but Penny thought Everett was just jealous and petty. “So what are you planning to do about it and how likely is it to get you in trouble?”

“Poke around. Ask questions. Maybe…” He could feel her staring at the side of his face. “You know what, never mind. You don’t want to be involved. You’ve got that contract coming up.”

He rolled his eyes. “Your contract is coming up too, Kady.”

“Five months for you, seven for me.” Her smile wasn’t totally convincing. “How long do you think I’ll make it after you’re gone?”

“In the field? You’ll be fine. With Library politics?” He made a face.

That made her laugh. “How’d you get stuck with the one partner who makes _you_ look like the peaceful and diplomatic one?” 

“Just lucky, I guess.” He studied her face, trying to see if she might actually be willing to hear him for once. “I’m sorry, but I’m not going to object if Zelda wants to keep her secrets as long as it means the Library lets me walk away when I’m done.”

“I get it.” She brushed past him, heading for the exit. “Come on, I’ve got plans tonight and you’re going to make me late.”

“What plans?” he called after, jogging to catch up. “Hot date?”

“Dinner with Hannah and Harriet. You’re invited too. No excuses allowed.”

Outside, the sky above the asteroid belt was dim, and the fountains gleamed pale under the light of two of the Neitherlands’ four moons. Penny held out his hands and Kady put her own in them. It made him think of every other time they’d Traveled together, including just that afternoon, when they’d walked into a fight unprepared. “Kady,” he said. “If you actually do get yourself in trouble… you know I’ve got your back, right?”

“I do.”

“And once we’re done with this place, it doesn’t mean we’ll be - “ She would punch him if he said _done with each other_. He’d punch himself for something that corny. “I’m still going to watch your fucking musicals.”

“Ugh, sure, you’ll still come over for sleepovers and let me braid your hair.” But she had a look on her face, one she’d deny if he ever brought it up, that meant she did understand what he was saying.

“Good.” He squeezed her hands, and they disappeared.

***

There was a tiny clock on the half wall between Julia’s kitchen and living room, in the shape of a squat, dwarf-like creature with enormous green warts and a clock face embedded in the sandwich the creature held in its hands. Eliot had purchased it on a trip to Denmark during spring break of Julia’s first year at Brakebills. That was the year that Margo and Josh were dating, the year Margo and Eliot got in a huge fight in the middle of Encanto Oculto and Eliot stormed off - “with immense style,” he swore later, “you’ve never seen a flounce like that” - and sometime later, after falling asleep on a few trains and a brief but satisfying affair with a German art student, found himself wandering down a side street in Copenhagen, drunkenly searching for the Little Mermaid statue, and instead had come across a shop that sold tiny, grotesque timepieces. “Pretty sure the owner was a magician,” he’d told her, “because only the mind of a magician could be fucked up enough to make so many things this ugly.” That, and the clock didn’t work at all for telling time, but it had proven very susceptible to casting.

Eliot had told this story after Julia moved into her apartment, when he’d presented the clock as a housewarming gift. Julia had been confused and a little horrified, until she learned that the clock itself wasn’t the real gift. That had been the portal in her building’s basement, the combined effort of Eliot, Quentin and Margo, providing immediate access to their own place across town.

“So Q can get here quickly when he wants to run away,” Eliot had said, and Quentin had blushed and agreed, but everyone had known that the portal wasn’t just for Quentin’s sake. Eliot handed her the clock and explained, “It’s spelled to chime - well, okay, croak - when someone comes through, plus it gives you a conversation piece,” and Julia, faced with that level of concern for her paranoia delivered in such an offhand way, hadn’t been able to object.

So there was a portal uptown in her basement, and a monstrosity of a clock in her kitchen. And right now, the clock was making a noise like the dwarf was dying horribly. 

Quentin yelped and jumped back from the door when she pulled it open just ahead of his knock. She did that every time he showed up without calling first, and he was always surprised. “Sorry,” she said, unrepentant. “What are you doing here?”

“Visiting you. Margo and Eliot are redecorating again and you know Margo thinks I get in their way.” Her best friend gave her a very earnest look, like a puppy, while he said it. 

Quentin was not good with eye contact unless he was either trying to be sincere or lying his ass off. Julia guessed this was a combination of the two. She knew Margo’s brusque tongue didn’t bother him; besides, she was almost as likely to kick Eliot out so she and Quentin could watch fantasy movies together. She had to assume that Quentin and Eliot sometimes sent Margo away so they could be husbands, but she’d never asked for the details. The relationship between the three of them had confused her even before Quetin and Eliot were married, and it hadn’t gotten any simpler when they’d all settled down in their enormous, constantly-shifting apartment after Fillory.

“I was about to order take-out and go to bed early,” she said. “I didn’t sleep much last night.”

Quentin shifted the reusable grocery bags in his arms. “Eliot cooked,” he said, and now Julia could smell the scent of spaghetti bolognese wafting from the bag. 

“That’s a dirty move,” she said, but stepped back to let him into the apartment. 

“But it worked.” Quentin set his bags on the counter and began pulling out Tupperware containers. “Did you want to get that?” he asked, eyeing the ugly dwarf clock.

They went through this hurdle at the beginning of all his visits. Julia thought about asking him to take care of it - he would, but only if she asked - then imagined the look on his face if she did and muttered, “I forgot.” 

She brought her hands up in two quick tuts, and the magic spiraled up through her, just a little trickle of it, but still magic, making her shiver as the horrid croaking fell silent. She resisted the urge to rub her hands against her jeans, not sure if she really wanted the tingling on her palms to fade.

_Two weeks and four days_ , she thought. Not the longest she’d gone without even minor magic, but not bad.

“I hate that thing,” Quentin said. He was fussing with the food, pretending he hadn’t noticed her little moment. “That thing is why Margo won’t let Eliot drink before they start decorating. She’s afraid the whole apartment will end up like that.”

“What’s the theme this time?” Julia asked. She reached up to get down plates and glasses. “Do you want wine?”

“Of course. So the theme is something to do with Louis XIV? Or else that was a joke. You know how Margo is.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him shake out his hands for a heating spell. “When I left they were turning the pool into a music room and talking about getting a piano. I tried to point out that Eliot’s the only one who knows how to play and he’s too impatient to bother, but I guess it’s just for the aesthetic. Whatever that means.” She was turned away, but she still felt the magic swell and retreat against her back. “Okay, food’s heated.”

They sat at the kitchen counter. Julia took her first bite of spaghetti and closed her eyes with a sigh. “That’s way better than any take out I could have ordered,” she admitted. “I’m still mad that Eliot won’t give me the recipe.”

“He says the only thing scarier than my cooking is yours,” Quentin said, not sounding bothered by the insult. Probably because they all knew that Quentin’s cooking was fine, even if his repertoire was limited, while Julia’s was liable to kill someone. 

Julia settled into the moment and let herself relax for the first time all day. When she’d finished her spaghetti - she was starving, she discovered, which probably meant she’d forgotten lunch again - she sat back, sipping her wine while she watched Quentin fuss with his fork. “Okay, so which one of them told you to come over here?” she asked. “Was it Margo or Josh?”

Quentin hunched even further over his food. “It was Shoshanna,” he admitted. “She was worried that you’re stressed out. About… um, a project?” Despite his stumbling, there was real concern in his eyes when he looked at her.

Julia fought the instinct to brush him off. That wasn’t fair to Quentin and their history. “I’m not exactly excited about it,” she said. “And I’m pissed your girlfriend is forcing me to work with her.” Quentin rolled his eyes. “But it’s no big deal. I’m just a consultant.”

“And that’s what you want?” 

“Yes.”

“Okay.” Quentin’s eyes dropped to her hands, and Julia again had to fight the urge to curl her fingers up and see if she could still feel the traces of the stupid little tuts she’d done early. _Forty-seven minutes_ , she thought. _Not nearly long enough._

Quentin could never understand why she refrained from doing magic as much as possible, why she challenged herself to go longer and longer without the kinds of simple, everyday spells most magicians barely thought about. Quentin, even after a decade, still _did_ think about them; she’d seen the satisfied look on his face when he cast his heating spell earlier. Big magic, the kind of reality-bending spells that called to Julia, had proven nothing but a disappointment to him, but small, everyday magic settled Quentin in a way nothing else, except perhaps Eliot, ever had, and he couldn’t understand why it wasn’t that way for her. 

“I’m fine,” she repeated. “I promise. Just a weird day.”

“Sure. You know I’ll listen if you want to talk about it, though, right? You did that enough times for me.”

“And I never minded,” she said, smiling. She tried not to hear judgment there; Julia had listened to Quentin all the years when he was a depressed mess, but now he had therapy and meds and a career he loved and a stable relationship or two, and she had - 

“Want to watch a movie?” she said, jumping up and grabbing the wine. “Let’s do that.”

Quentin knew her well enough to let the topic drop. 

***

Kady had been hiding in the kitchen for half an hour when Hannah finally tracked her down. 

“There you are, baby!” Her mother set the empty plates she’d been carrying on the counter and came over to give Kady a one-armed hug. “I wondered where you wandered off to.”

“Just needed a break.”

“We’ve got a big crowd out there.” Hannah began to rinse and stack the dishes. “Did you meet Bender? He came up from the city with some of Silver’s other friends. They’ve got kind of a little coven going, nothing too formal, but they do some good work. You should check it out. They’d love to have you join them. Penny too if he’s interested.”

Kady took a sip from her water bottle. “Penny’s definitely not interested in becoming a hedge, Mom,” she said. “And I really doubt Silver and her friends want a couple of Library Agents hanging around their coven.”

Hannah shrugged. “Well, you won’t be Library Agents forever, right? Just a few more months. No harm in making connections.”

_No harm._ That’s what Hannah had been saying for nine-and-a-half years, since Kady had shown up with a new tattoo on her arm and told her she’d signed the Library’s contract. _It’s just for a few year_ s. And _you don’t really have to become one of them._ Y _ou’re still a hedge in your heart._

Maybe she was, but Kady had never been able to get Hannah to understand that while the Library might not harm _her_ \- and waste all the effort they’d invested in training her - she could do a hell of a lot of harm just by coming across the wrong information. Like that Silver and her friends, the latest special guests at Hannah and Harriet’s farmhouse, were apparently into time magic, in a way that had to break at least three of the Library’s laws. Kady had excused herself from the party as soon as they’d started talking about it, only glancing around long enough to see that Penny was occupied showing some of the other guests the latest pictures of Charlie on his phone. Penny was a lot better at mingling with the hedges than she was, she’d thought, but then Penny already had one foot out the door when it came to the Library.

That thought didn’t improve her mood any.

“Have you thought about what you’ll do when your contract is up?” Hannah asked. “You know Harriet and I would love it if you came to stay here.” Kady shifted a little at the vulnerable tone in her mother’s voice, and Hannah quickly added, “Not forever, of course. I’m sure a farmhouse in the middle upstate nowhere isn’t your idea of a good time. And you don’t need a sanctuary.” That was what Harriet’s farmhouse was, mostly, a place for hedges and other magicians who’d lost their way to spend a few weeks or months and get back on their feet. “But you could stay for a bit, help out, maybe teach some of the newer hedges a few tricks?”

There was a familiar note of longing in Hannah’s voice, but Kady didn’t know if that was for her coming home, or for what she would bring with her. “You know we have to agree not to share Library magic when we leave,” she reminded her mother.

“Well, sure, but I mean, a few little spells can’t hurt, can they?” Hannah gave a mischievous grin. “That can be your rent.”

It was her mother’s craving for “just a few new spells” that had landed Kady, Marina and the rest of their group in contracts. Even knowing all that, a part of Kady would always be the little girl who’d been most proud when she brought her mother a new spell. “I’ll think about it,” she said.

“Only if you want to,” Hannah said. She reached up, pressing a hand to Kady’s cheek. “You know I’ve always just wanted you to be happy, don’t you, baby?”

“I know,” Kady said. She knew Hannah believed that, anyway.

“Speaking of happiness - ”

Kady groaned, but they were rescued when Penny burst through the kitchen’s swinging doors with Harriet on his heels.

“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” he was saying. “Have you even played Welters before?” He turned as he said it to repeat the last bit in clumsy ASL

_“Third round tournament Brakebills Champion for 2001. I know more about Welters than you ever will_ ,” Harriet signed back with a grin. “And your sign is still awful. I thought Kady was teaching you.”

Kady shrugged. “ _Slow learner_ ,” she signed to Harriet, knowing Penny had enough ASL to pick up that much. He could understand a lot more than he could say. “What are you two arguing about?”

“Charlie and her terrible Welters coach,” Harriet said. _“I suggested he give her some tips but it turns out his ideas are awful.”_

“My ideas are not - “ Penny gave Kady an exasperated look. “Can we go now? Please?”

“Sorry, I promised we’d stay for dessert. Mom made peach cobbler.”

Hannah pointed to the dish sitting under tinfoil on the far end of the counter while Kady dealt with the bizarre image of her mother as some kind of domestic goddess. Penny wandered over, peeling back the edge of the foil to grab a bit with his finger. “Hmm, Hannah, that’s good. Almost good enough to stay for - ow!” He glared as Harriet slapped his fingers away.

_“Wait your turn,”_ she signed. “Help me carry this out to the table.”

“Sure, that’s what I’m here for, manual labor,” Penny complained. But he looked oddly content beneath his usual grumpy mask as he took the plates and followed Harriet back to the dining room.

Kady was still smiling, listening to him mutter his way down the hall, when she felt her mother watching her. “What?” she asked. 

Hannah shrugged. “Nothing,” she said. “I just like it when you bring Penny around. Harriet adores him.”

“Adores tormenting him,” Kady said, though it wasn’t like Penny didn’t give it right back at her. The Penny-and-Harriet show was always entertaining, and had gotten Kady and Hannah through some awkward moments over the years.

“I like him too,” Hannah added. “I have since the first time you brought him here. What was that, at least five years ago?”

“Seven.” Right before they’d become partners, around the time when Penny’s persistent, but careful, chipping at her walls had convinced her that she could trust him with her family.

“Long time you’ve known each other. Do you ever think…?” Hannah gave her a pointed look.

Kady considered pretending she didn’t know what her mother was implying, then sighed. “No, Mom. Penny and I are not going to get together and give you grandchildren.”

“I never asked for that!” Hannah grinned. “I’d be satisfied with the one he’s already got. She seems sweet, even if her mother is a Librarian.”

“Hmm. Well, sorry. Penny’s my partner, and that’s it. He won’t even be that for much longer.” And there went her mood again.

Hannah shrugged as she turned away. “All I’m saying is, relationships change.”

_Yeah_ , Kady thought. _That’s the problem._

***

“It wasn’t the project, you know,” Julia said halfway through _Labyrinth_.

“Hmm, what?” Quentin, sitting in a tangle of drawn-up legs on the floor, was still as hypnotized by Bowie in leather pants as he’d been when they were thirteen, so it took him a moment to react. “What do you mean?” he asked, dragging his eyes away from the TV.

“It wasn’t the Fillory project at work that had me upset today.” Julia stubbed out her cigarette and sat up from her sprawl on the couch to study the nearly-empty wine bottle. “Did you want any more?”

“No, I’ve got to open the shop tomorrow,” he said. Julia thought briefly about her own early morning, then topped off her glass anyway. “So what were you upset about?”

He was making a very noticeable effort not to be drawn back to the movie. Julia smiled. “Do you want to talk after this scene is over, or - ?”

“No.” Quentin grabbed the remote and paused the screen - right on Bowie’s crotch; Julia wondered if that was magic - then turned to face her. “Best friends over goblin kings any day.”

Which was sweet, but now her brief moment of wine-induced bravery was already fading. Julia flopped back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling. Maybe she would have preferred the distraction of Bowie too. “It’s James and that girl,” she admitted.

“Ah. Fen.” Julia glanced down to see Quentin studying the floor with a guilty expression. “I didn’t know what to say about her.”

“I don’t care about James having a girlfriend.” He looked skeptical, like Julia figured only someone who’d found their soulmate at twenty-one could. “It’s been two years, Q. That’s a normal amount of time to move on.”

“Yeah.” Anyone else would probably have left it there, but Quentin wasn’t good at leaving things. Eliot called it brave, which Julia thought was a romantic way of saying stubborn. “Kind of seems like only one of you has, though.” He played with his empty glass, avoiding her eyes.

“I’m happy,” Julia said automatically. Quentin gave her a look that said _how-stupid-do-you-think-I-am_ and she sighed. “Do you remember when I broke up with him?”

“Which time?”

Julia and James had been on and off all through her time at Brakebills, a cycle of breakups and make ups that had driven her friends crazy; the longest break had been when she’d gone to Fillory, and their reunion that time had only been possible because of the weird time dilation effect that meant she’d been gone a much shorter time on his end. Julia told James about magic from the beginning, and he’d never had a problem with it. He had accepted her magician friends and her magical career almost too easily. And in the end it had grated, how easy it was for him, how he delighted at Eliot making a drink with a twist of his fingers or Quentin cheating his poker friends by disappearing half the cards, all while Julia was waking up in a sweat every other night remembering what it had been like to see to the heart of magic and know it for what it was. 

They’d stayed together for three years, after Fillory, the longest they’d managed since Columbia, and Julia had felt like they were doomed the entire time. 

“I told myself I was doing the best thing for him,” she said, spinning her wine glass absently. “How could he be happy, or… or safe, being a regular guy dating a magician? I would be miserable if I were him. I’d go insane with jealousy.” She bit her lip, not liking the thought that had been circling through her head since she’d left James and Fen on the street that morning, glowing with happiness. “I think maybe I… projected, a bit, onto him. I wasn’t satisfied with my life so I decided he wasn’t either.”

Quentin was nice enough not to say _duh_. “Do you regret it?” he asked. “Breaking up with him?”

“No. We were clinging to something that had been good when we were kids to try to make ourselves happy adults, and that was never going to work.” 

“But it still upsets you to see them together.”

“It’s not them.” Julia drained the last of her wine, then, fueled again by liquid courage, admitted, “I think maybe I’m a little stuck, Q.”

“Yeah,” he said softly. “I think so.” His voice took on a brighter tone, and he turned on his knees to look up at her. “But that’s good, Jules. Since you know that, we can work on it.”

His painfully earnest tone was touching, even if the thought of becoming _Quentin’s_ project was worse than the rest of their friends all judgily fussing over her. He’d accused her once, back in his bad days, of treating him that way and now she got why he hated it.

“Please don’t try to become my therapist,” she said. “Or make me go to therapy. You know I hated it.”

“God no, I wouldn’t dare try. And we can agree to disagree about therapy.” She heard him shifting around and opened her eyes as he landed on the couch beside her, reaching for her pack of cigarettes. He lit one with a snap and handed it to her, then took his own. “Okay, what are we going to try to get you out of your rut?”

She smiled, her discomfort fading in the face of his slightly drunken grin. “Gonna mend my life for me?”

“It’s my discipline. So… a new job?”

“I like my job.” Quentin’s silence was disbelieving. “Okay, I don’t hate my job, and no one else is going to give me a contract like Irene did.”

“Hmm.” Quentin at least didn’t voice his disapproval of her deal with Irene. “Do you want an alien girlfriend too?”

“Hah.”

“Or what about - oh!” Julia gave a startled noise as he abruptly jumped to his feet “Where did you put my stuff?” he asked, waving the cigarette in the air in typical excited-Quentin form before he found an ashtray on her cluttered table and stubbed it out. “I need my laptop.”

“Uh, I dumped it in the bedroom.” Julia twisted to watch as Quentin executed an awkward scramble over the back of the couch and disappeared around the corner. “Q?”

“I have the best idea!” he called back. “Hey, open another bottle, okay? We’re going to need it. Oh, and I’m going to fix this lamp for you. And this shoe.”

“Do the curling iron too. I thought you were working early tomorrow?” Julia said. She still got up to replenish the wine.

“It’s my shop, I can open it when I want.” Quentin reappeared with his laptop in his hands. “Trust me, you’re going to want to see this.”

***

Harriet’s property hadn’t been a working farm in a century, and most of the land had been sold off long before she picked up the dilapidated house for cheap, but there was still a stretch of sunburnt grass below the back porch, and in the summer she and Hannah and their guests set out tables and speakers and made room for drinking and dancing while the sun set. Everyone had eaten some of Hannah’s peach cobbler, but they still broke out the special desserts Kady had brought up from the Stonery, her favorite magician-owned bakery in the city, and soon the voices were getting louder, friendly squabbles breaking out as groups of two or three magicians argued over the intricacies of a spell or which brand of beer was better. Someone put on music and Silver dragged Bender out onto the impromptu dance floor, and within a few minutes most of the party was swaying around drunkenly, sparks flying up from their hands as they cast half-formed spells that did nothing more useful than brighten the night.

This was the hedge life Kady remembered from her childhood. Not the heists and schemes and constant threat of danger from other covens, but this community of mutual support and free magic. On the porch, watching the people her mother protected from the same wolves she’d thrown her daughter to, she thought it was ironic that this life only existed as long as she stayed shut out of it.

_It’s worth it_ , she thought. If that’s what it took for this sanctuary to stay standing, and for Hannah to continue to gather her adopted family here, and for Harriet to keep quietly fighting the battles Kady pretended she didn’t know about… it wasn’t like, after all this time, she really belonged anyway. But it was nice to visit.

She felt the rush of moving air before she heard footsteps, and smiled. “Traveling just to get to the kitchen?” she asked. “Seems a little lazy.”

“Checking to make sure I was sober enough to get us back to the city,” Penny responded easily. He leaned against the porch railing beside her, and Kady raised her eyebrows at the beer in his hands. He shrugged. “Turns out I’m fine. Promise I won’t travel us into a wall, or the middle of I-95 on the way home.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

“They’re adorable.” Penny nodded in the direction of the dancing. “Almost makes you forget she’s such a bitch.”

Kady followed his gaze to where Harriet and Hannah were entwined in each other’s arms, swaying to a beat very different from the one playing over the speakers. Hannah had her head on Harriet’s shoulder, and Harriet’s fingers played through her hair. 

“You know, this whole thing you and Harriet have, where you act like she’s not basically your mom now? It’s not very convincing,” Kady said.

“It’s kind of reassuring,” Penny said, ignoring her jibe. “The two of them have known each other how long?”

“Decades. Harriet’s been around since I was a kid.” Not always as Hannah’s lover, and not consistently; Hannah had a talent for pushing her friends away. But Harriet had always come back, no matter how much Hannah fucked up. There had been something comforting about that, when Kady was young, until she’d realized that Harriet knew every time she returned that she was just setting herself up for more trouble, and she took it on anyway. Maybe she didn’t mind, and maybe Hannah didn’t care about being the perpetual screw-up in the other woman’s eyes, but Kady couldn’t understand how that made them happy.

_They definitely look happy now, though_ , she thought. Harriet was cradling the back of Hannah’s head, her face curved down against the other woman’s cheek. Hannah, eyes closed, smiled as they swayed together. She looked safe, protected. It raised an old unease for Kady, the relief of seeing her mother cared for alongside the discomfort of knowing that safety was dependent on someone Hannah might not allow to stay forever.

“Imagine being with someone for that long,” Penny said. “Maybe you get to the point where it all becomes easy?” He sounded doubtful.

Kady snorted. “Not if you’re dating my mom,” she said. “Besides, they were just friends back then. They only got together a couple years ago.”

“Maybe not _together_ , together, but come on?” He nodded towards the two women, oblivious to everything around them. “You can’t tell me something like that comes out of nowhere.”

Kady thought of her mother’s insinuations in the kitchen earlier, and suddenly wished she was down in the crowd learning Melony’s smoke-signal spell instead of up here where the music was just distant enough that it felt like they were in their own little bubble of quiet. Penny was in his off-work fashions, loose pants and a vest that only partially closed, and his arm was bare and warm where it brushed hers. Kady didn’t know if she wanted to pull away or move closer. 

“It doesn’t really matter, does it?” she said, irritable for no real reason. “You can have feelings for someone for twenty years. Doesn’t mean it will work out.” 

“Wow.” Penny gave her an amused look. “That’s cynical even for you.”

“What - _even for me_?” Kady spluttered. “Come on, dude, you’re one to talk.” His smile faded, and Kady felt like a bitch. “Look, I - Just because it didn’t work out with Alice - “

“Jesus, Kady, please don’t give me a speech about how everyone has someone waiting for them. I will leave you here and make you take the train back to the city.”

“Well, it’s true.” She tried to lighten the mood. “Some of us have several people waiting. I know I’ve got a whole string of nameless hook ups in my future.”

“And that’s what you want?” 

There was no judgement in the way he looked at her; there never had been. Penny had always seen _her_ and acted like that was a good thing. In the beginning, it had scared her, because her life was a fucking mess and the last thing she needed was some drifter Travler to get his hooks in her and then disappear - or worse, stay. She’d tried to put him off in every way she could, and every time he looked at her like he knew exactly what she was doing and why. Sometimes he’d been right, and other times she’d wanted him to be. Penny looked at her like she was just a little bit better, a little bit cleaner and kinder, than she was. Not a false picture, but one with the grime wiped away and glass polished. 

“It takes all types, right?” she said, knowing she wasn’t really answering his question. “We can’t all fall in love and retire to a farm. Some people get all that nice domestic shit, and others… chose something else.” She smiled, hoping her expression was just as accepting as his. “And no one will judge you when you choose a little white house and another 1.5 children.”

“God, shut up.” Penny shoved her, breaking the moment. “No fucking way am I living in the suburbs. I barely survived Modesto.”

“Was that the problem? Alice just loved California too much for you?” 

He just shook his head. “Alice wasn’t the problem. We were good for each other until we weren’t.” Kady nodded, because pointing out that Alice-and-Penny had always made a lot more sense in theory than in the real world was unnecessary at this point. “I miss it,” he said. “Not her, but knowing there was someone I came home to.”

“Hey, five months,” she said. “Once you’re free, there will be a whole world of women out there just waiting for the opportunity. They’ve got these dating apps for magicians, you know.” And then, because it was late and quiet on the porch in the darkness, away from the noise of the party, and because he only had five months left, she added, “You’re pretty amazing. Someone will appreciate that.”

There was a long enough silence for her to feel his eyes on the side of her face, the stillness in his body where it barely brushed hers, raising goosebumps along her skin. Kady thought about going inside to find her jacket or a drink or any excuse. 

Then he said, “I am pretty amazing.” 

“And egotistical.”

“Want to talk about my amazing traits?” His smile broadened. “Maybe I need a wing woman. You gonna serve?”

“Hell, no.” Kady shook her head. “Don’t want to scare the ladies off you accidentally.”

He paused just a second before shrugging. “Nah. Any woman you would run off wouldn’t be worth it.” He threw an arm over her shoulders, and Kady let herself be dragged in against his side, pretending to be thrown off balance so he wouldn’t notice her leaning in, just a little. “Any woman who can’t handle that my best friend is a gorgeous badass isn’t worth keeping around.”

“Yeah,” she said. “I mean, obviously. I’m not going anywhere.”

***

“BSpelled?” Julia looked skeptically from the computer screen to Quentin’s face as she refilled their glasses and found the cigarettes. “What is that?”

“Dating site.”

“For magicians? Seriously?”

“Yep.” Quentin wiggled his fingers until she handed him his glass. His other hand was busy clicking through several screens full of photos of people with bright teeth flashing a lot of skin. “Margo told me about it. She uses the sister site, uh, Hexed, I think it’s called? That’s for hookups. Except I think maybe she’s…” He shook his head, reigning in his wandering thoughts. “The point is, I found out about this and, I mean, Jules, it’s perfect for you.”

“I dunno, Q. Even if I was looking for someone, I’ve done dating sites before.” 

“Yeah, but this for magicians.” Quentin stopped his rapid clicking and turned to face her. “Think about it. You said with James, you didn’t think your lives fit together? You were just holding onto the past? Maybe, maybe if you met someone who fit with your life as it is now…” 

He made a gesture, like, _isn’t it obvious_ , and she sighed. “Q … I mean, yeah, James didn’t really understand where I was coming from but I’m not sure…” _I’m not sure anyone would._ But surely that was melodramatic, right? Plenty of other magicians had to have ambiguous feelings about magic, even if they’d never fucked up with it on quite as massive a scale as Julia had. “Besides, if I wanted to date a magician, I know plenty of them. Half the ones in New York went to Brakebills with us.”

“Yeah, and of all those you might be interested in, either you already slept with them at school or Margo did.” Q paused. “Or Josh did. My point is, you need a wider pool.”

“Says the guy who hasn’t looked at anyone new since his first day at Brakebills,” she grumbled, but Quentin’s enthusiasm was wearing her down. “I just don’t know that I’m really up for meeting people.”

Her best friend’s expression softened. “I get, Jules. Believe me. But…” For a minute, she was worried they were finally going to have that conversation she’d been avoiding for years, the one that went beyond vague noises about her lack of a social life or habit of staying up all night and sleeping through entire weekends, but then he smiled, visibly forcing himself to lighten the mood. “How about this? We just fill the form out. No pressure. We won’t submit it.” He put on the puppy dog eyes. “It’s like a personality quiz. You know you love those.”

“I do really love those.” Julia looked from his pleading expression to the screen, then sighed and tossed back her wine. “Okay, for fun only.”

“Yes!” Quentin finished off his own glass and held it out for another. “You pour, I’ll type.”

The first few questions were basic and familiar from the other sites she’d used - screen name, age, location, occupation. Julia started to come up with a euphemism for the last one, but Quentin typed in _spell writer_. “Magicians, remember?”

Julia set his glass and a tray of Josh’s white chocolate macadamia nut cookies on the table. “What’s next?”

“Education.” He typed in _Brakebills_. “Discipline. That one’s optional. But metacomposition is, like, super rare. You’d be a catch.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s what everyone wants,” Julia said. “Someone who can write spells in bed.”

Quentin paused, a flush creeping up his neck. “There are some situations where - “

“Moving on, Q.” Even best friends needed to have limits.

“Okay. Uh… gender preference?”

Julia paused. She’d come out as bi in high school, first to Quentin - who’d reacted with a huge sigh of relief and then spent the next hour telling her about all his crushes on boys - and then to everyone, but only a few weeks after she’d started at Columbia, she’d met James, and that was it for serious relationships. At Brakebills, there had been girls during her breaks from James - Gretchen, Emma, that third-year Herbology student Josh had introduced her to at a party who never gave her name - but those had just been hookups. And there had been no one in Fillory; Julia had been far too caught up in crowns and quests to even think about her love life.

She tried to picture herself in a relationship with a woman, and realized she couldn’t picture a relationship, period. She couldn’t imagine any other person fitting into the rigid stricture of her life, putting up with her moods and her snappishness and the way she only socialized because her friends had built a portal straight into her building and would sit out in the hall until she let them in. Who would want any part of that?

But Quentin was beginning to look worried again, and, she reminded herself, this was just for fun. 

“Any gender,” she said.

He looked pleased as he typed that in. “Alright. Now we get into the real questions. Favorite vacation spot?”

“I don’t know, Aruba?” Quentin gave her a disgusted look. “What? I like the beach.”

“When do you ever go to the beach?”

“I… have gone. To the beach. A few years ago.” She sighed. “I don’t vacation a lot, Q.”

“Yes, but this is a _fantasy_ , Jules.”

She could already tell she was going to disappoint Quentin with this experiment. “Well, what would you put?”

“The Floating Islands.” Julia froze, but Quentin wasn’t looking at her. “Remember the diplomatic tour we took, with Margo and El, right after… anyway, remember how the sun looked coming through the clouds when you were that close to them, and the way the little canoes flew up to the parapets of the castle, and um, those giant bird-things that scared the crap out of me?” He suddenly seemed to realize what he’d been saying and looked flustered. “Sorry, I know you don’t - “

“No, it’s okay.” Julia bit her lip, feeling awkward, out of practice, but… “Do you remember that dish? The Queen served it and it was disgusting, but Tick said if we didn’t eat it there would be an international incident? And so we all tried it, you and me and El, and then Margo got a bite - “

“And spit it out on the Queen’s shoes!” Quentin laughed. “Yes! And she loved it. And Margo.”

“And hated the rest of us. The whole thing was a test to see which one of us she wanted to marry her son off to.”

“She wanted to help Margo overthrow Eliot and take over.”

“Pretty sure after that dinner he would have let her.” Julia smiled wistfully. “But then, there was that dessert they served. With the turquoise berries and the sugar icing, and they painted clouds in the sugar. It was supposed to mean something, whatever you saw. I think I saw a sheep.”

“I saw a raccoon. The Queen was not impressed.”

“Yeah. I’d go back there just for that dessert.” Julia smiled at him. 

“Are you sure?” He looked uncertain. “I get it, you know. I don’t really like to talk about how Fillory turned out either. But - “

“But there were good parts.” And as soon as he was gone and her wine buzz wore off, she’d probably remember how totally outnumbered they were by the horrifying ones, but for now… “Put that down as my answer. The Kingdom of the Floating Islands.” She shrugged. “It’s fake, right?”

“Right. Okay.” He looked so happy with her answer that she had to look away while he typed. “Next one. Cats or dogs?”

That was easy, the answer was dogs, though Quentin tried to protest that she’d never given cats a chance. Julia reminded him of her grandmother’s cat who’d scratched them both up so badly one afternoon when they were ten that Q’s mother had tried to accuse hers of child abuse. Then “Are you a morning person or a night one?” and they settled on night because _three am does not count as morning, Julia._ Julia grumbled that he was no better, and Quentin said, “Actually, I’ve been getting up by seven most mornings. My therapist thinks I do better with a consistent schedule.” Which just left Julia with that nagging discomfort that came from seeing how settled Quentin was, the odd mix of pride from seeing him so happy and bewilderment at how he was the one of them who had it all together.

But then… “How do you have fun?” They stared at the screen.

“This is one of those things where I can’t say I enjoy my work, right?” Julia asked. 

“Definitely not,” Quentin agreed.

“Well, I like… museums.” She made a face at Quentin’s skeptical look. “I do! I’ve always liked museums.”

“That’s true.” And there was that expression again, like he wasn’t sure if he should ask something but either way he was going to be sure she knew he was thinking about it. “When was the last time you went to a museum?”

“I’ve been busy.”

“Uh-huh.” He typed it in. “What else?”

“Reading.” That also hadn’t been true much lately, mostly because she kept buying serious books about sad twenty-somethings with meaningless lives and then getting predictably depressed. Quentin looked like he knew that as he typed in her answer. She was sure he’d been silently judging her bookshelves all night. “Oh! I collect magical maps. Well, I mean, I have a few that Dean Fogg gave me and I’ve been thinking about getting more.”

Quentin sighed. “Let’s move on. Pet peeves?”

That was easy - “People who buy expensive wine to show off but know nothing about it, the way Ikea refuses to print written instructions and just gives you those tiny pictures, oh, and people who always say the book is better than the movie without seeing the movie.” (The last one got her a glare from her best friend.)

“What’s your favorite season?”

“Fall.”

“Back to school season,” Quentin said.

Julia rolled her eyes. “When I was thirteen, maybe. I just like the leaves.”

“Last one. What do you hate about dating?”

“Everything,” she said immediately, and he sighed. “Okay, fine.” She tried to think about the question seriously. She was on her fourth glass of wine and another was probably a bad idea, so she lit a cigarette instead. “I… don’t really know? I never dated anyone except James.” She narrowed her eyes at his expression. “Okay, what do you know about it? When’s the last time you dated someone? You stumbled through a hedge and practically landed on Eliot’s dick, so that doesn’t count.”

Quentin immediately turned bright red, as he did whenever Eliot’s dick was mentioned. “Okay, but I know why I didn’t date before,” he pointed out, burying his face in his wine glass. “It’s awkward. People are always pretending to be someone else because they think that’s what the other person wants, and you feel like you’re advertising yourself the whole time only the ad is failing and the other person probably won’t like what they see. Plus, you know, all the dressing up.” He rubbed at his arms like he was imagining the scratchy feel of the blazers he’d worn back before Eliot took over his wardrobe.

“Gotta admit, I don’t hate that part,” Julia said. She hadn’t had an excuse to wear something fancy in months.

He shrugged. “I wouldn’t expect you to hate any of it. You were always the one who had social skills, not me.”

It was true, and there was a weird sort of relief in seeing him made uncomfortable with this topic. At least there were some things he hadn’t completely surpassed her on. “Tripping over your soulmate definitely sounds like the better option,” she said, and he grinned.

“I recommend it. So?”

She tried to remember the handful of dates she’d gone on in the last two years. “I never minded the awkwardness, but you’re right, it always felt so pointless and fake. The older you get… how do you even show someone all of that?” She tried to imagine meeting someone who would ever get her as much as Quentin did, or even the rest of her friends. Someone who didn’t know the Julia from before, and the one from before that. 

“I don’t know,” Quentin said. “But, um, maybe…” He frowned down at the screen. “Maybe when you meet someone new, you don’t have to carry all that? I mean, they get to see who you are now and that’s what matters. They can figure out who you used to be later.”

“Right.” Julia stared at her half-filled out profile with blurry eyes, trying to imagine it landing her a date. Some magician out there who had never known the overachiever from Columbia, or the Brakebills valedictorian, or Queen Julia the Merciful. Then she shook the thought off. They weren’t submitting this thing, but Quentin was having fun, and maybe she was too, a little. “I dunno, put down that I hate arguing over the check. What comes next?”

“Pictures.”

They managed to dig out a few from the depths of her computer and after a brief argument that Quentin won they uploaded one for her profile picture. It was from a party a year or so back. At the end of the night, drunk on champagne and with only their friends left to see, she and Quentin had performed the dance they’d choreographed for their tenth-grade talent show. Margo had captured a shot of Julia laughing, a half-empty champagne bottle in her hand, and Quentin cropped himself and the background out, leaving just the image of her crinkled-up eyes and wide smile. 

“Not bad,” Julia admitted when they were done. “I would totally swipe whichever direction you’re supposed to swipe on that girl.”

“She looks like a catch,” Q agreed. Julia put his soft tone down to the wine. “Too bad she’s not going to submit it.” She expected more of an argument about that, but he shut the laptop. “But you had fun.”

“You know what, I did.” She smiled at him. “Thanks, Q. I know I was kind of bitchy when you got here, but I think I needed this.”

“If bitchy was going to drive me off, I would have been gone by third grade.”

“Like I would have allowed that.” Julia rescued the now-empty glasses and set them aside before curling up beside him. “Seriously, though. Thank you.”

“Anytime.” He put his arm around her shoulder and Julia closed her eyes, feeling him press a kiss to her hair. “You know I just want you to be happy, right?”

“I know.” She wondered, though, if this was how he’d felt all those years when she’d said the same thing, like she was being accused of failing to accomplish happiness somehow, like she should know how to achieve it. Or maybe that was just her Type-A personality at work. “Hey,” she said. “You know I’m proud of you, right? Your work and your whole life, how much you’ve grown. I’m really glad you found what you needed.”

“Me too.” He hugged her again and didn’t say he wanted the same thing for her, and Julia was grateful for that too.


	5. Chapter 5

The morning after her mother’s party, Kady gave up on sleep at six. Rest was the last thing she needed. Even twelve hours later, her heart still sped up when she remembered the feel of John Gaines crawling through her mind, or coming back to herself with the cool burn of his gun in her hand, and she knew she wasn’t going to get any good sleep until she had answers.

Her apartment was on the Upper East Side, in the most expensive building she’d been able to find when she finished her training. The Library was generous about paying for living expenses, and Kady had figured that after a lifetime in the back of vans or on other people’s futons, if a magical Big Brother was willing to pay her rent while they forced her to work for them, the least they could do was cover a big place. So she’d taken a two-story penthouse on the top floor of an exclusive, doorman-equipped building, one with views of the city on all sides and a roof deck for sitting out on summer nights, and she’d furnished it with a series of extravagant internet shopping sprees. Some of the colors and especially the paintings on the walls were now a little garish for her tastes - Kady winced remembering what she’d thought was classy at twenty-three - but she kept them because they were hers, as much payment for the contract she’d been forced to sign as the magic she’d learned in the Neitherlands.

She’d expected some push-back on the apartment, since most Librarians lived modestly, but Phyllis, who was in charge of Personnel, had barely blinked when Kady turned in her receipts. She’d just stamped the papers and arranged for a team of equally non-judgmental magicians to come by and lay wards around the doors and windows. As soon as they were gone Kady had added her own wards, things she’d learned on the road as a child, and once she was done, her apartment was probably the safest location in New York short of the McAllister building or the Library’s satellite branch.

Right now, it was also a mess, the result of too many jobs in a row with only a few hours home in between to crash. Kady made a vague effort towards cleaning up while her coffee brewed, then sat at the kitchen island with a cup of black dark roast and her notes. Before falling asleep, she’d written down everything she knew about the Reynard case, plus everything she could find on the internet about John Gaines, son of a hedgewitch and, apparently, also a former would-be US Senator. She’d googled his name on a whim, not really expecting any of the results to be the man she was looking for, but there he’d been on her computer screen, staring at her with the same wide eyes she’d seen frightened and determined as he muttered under his breath right before - 

Kady closed her eyes. She had her memories of the night before, and her case notes, and a Wikipedia article that told her Gaines had abruptly dropped out of the public sphere in the middle of his Senate run years ago, but none of that told her what the Library was hiding.

“Guess I’m not getting a day off after all,” she muttered.

Two more cups of coffee and a cold shower later, she was feeling alert as she hit the street outside her building with a wave for her doorman, Sid. It took a while for her to make her way across town to the nondescript brick building, a little shabby and out of place in a modern city that housed the satellite library. More than once as she darted around speeding cabs or squished her way into overfilled metro cars, Kady thought about calling Penny, but stretches of time off like this were rare and she’d promised to leave him out of the Reynard mess unless she needed backup. “I don’t want to deal with rush hour traffic” probably didn’t qualify as an emergency.

The NY Satellite Library was small and nearly deserted. Kady used her Library card to access the building, then cut through to the courtyard in the back. The fountain there was made of old, cracked marble, and featured an anthropomorphic frog carrying a book for reasons Kady suspected she didn’t want to understand. She climbed up onto the ledge and jumped - and seconds later stepped, dripping wet, out onto the matching ledge in the Neitherlands. By the time she’d climbed down, the water had vanished, and Kady made her way through the usual bustle of agents coming and going from the fountains to the chute leading down to the Stacks.

The Stacks were as silent as ever, the employees who worked there moving about their tasks with quiet care, muffling their footsteps and voices and even turning the pages of the books gently. All the Librarians Kady had ever met, even Director Rowe, made a pretense towards being soft-spoken, like “Librarian” was etched into their identities even though they spent most of their days policing the flow of magic, but the guys in the Stacks were the real deal. Every step she took seemed to echo freakishly loud, and Kady winced and mouthed apologies to everyone she passed. At the back of the building were several doors leading to private rooms. One was locked - the Poison Room was off-limits to all but the most senior Librarians - but most were open. Kady found the one she was looking for and slipped inside an office-like space with a wide desk and cushy chair. On the desk was one enormous book - the Index, the only other item in this room. Kady took a seat and flipped it open.

The Index catalogued all the books in the Library by subject and time period, using a Phosphoromancy spell to conceal the titles in one enormous book. Because it marked the place of every volume in the Library, the spells to access it were taught even to those with the least skill in manipulating light. That didn’t mean just anyone could reach the books themselves, which were available based on security level, but it did mean you could at least find out what existed and where it was located. Kady knew there was a good chance that the book she was looking for was off-limits to an Agent, but the Index also cross-referenced biographies and other volumes that covered the same subject matter, and that was where Kady was hoping to find a loophole.

She held her hands up over the book and tried a simple searching spell. The book flew open, the pages flipping past as words revealed themselves until it landed on the entry she was searching for: _Fox, Reynard_ , with the index number of his book listed beside his name. Confusingly, he had multiple volumes, something Kady hard heard only happened to people who’d crossed timelines, but it didn’t matter, because all of them were marked “restricted.” Next, she tried a more complex spell, one Alice had taught her a few years ago, that was meant to search for any person cross-referenced in Reynard’s book. It wasn’t a surprise that there were a lot of those, but the sight of the first one made her frown in confusion. The name itself was blacked out, so all she could see was the book’s index number. That book, too, was marked restricted.

She flipped to the next name associated with Reynard, and then the next. All blacked out. All books restricted.

After a moment, she dug around in her bag until she came up with a torn envelope and a pen. Paging through the book, she picked the first blacked-out name and wrote down the index number. Alice’s spell was meant to bring up the most important cross-references first, so this was someone who was mentioned many times in Reynard’s book. With a snap of her fingers, she burned the page with the reference number, then repeated the search spell. Once again, the pages of the book flipped, this time searching for anyone connected to that index number.

Again, there were many results. Again, they were all blacked out, all restricted.

“What the hell?” she muttered. Maybe Reynard’s case was so sensitive that his book had been locked away for approved-eyes only, and maybe he was so dangerous that his associates were also restricted, but two connection points out and she still wasn’t allowed to even know their names?

“This asshole is so much more than a hedge.” With a sigh, Kady flipped back to the second number on the list and started the spell again.

It took her an hour and close to a hundred tries, running the spell off the list of people associated with Reynard, but eventually, she got a hit. Two connection points away from one of the last people on Reynard’s list was a name that wasn’t blacked out. The book was still restricted, but that didn’t bother Kady. The name, on the other hand…

“What the fuck does Reynard have to do with the guy who runs the Stonery?”

***

Alice had lived in Modesto from the time she finished her training with the Library, and when she got pregnant, Penny had moved into her house. Modesto had a pretty big community of magicians. Most of them were dippy, yoga-practicing types; Penny and Alice had spent more than a few nights entertaining each other with impressions. But with two parents working for the Library, the chances that Charlie wouldn’t pick up some magic were slim, and the training that community could provide in how to cast safely was better than waiting for it to burst out of her in a moment of emotion. So Charlie had been immersed from the time she was born in a small, safe, controlled magical world. And that world included Junior Welters.

Today, Charlie’s team wore the red shirts, which Penny hoped wasn’t significant. They were lined up in a V on one side of the gymnasium as Penny slipped in and took a seat. His daughter, a gangly kid with straight black hair and glasses that kept slipping down her nose, was in the second position from the right. Even though Welters wasn’t really a sport by Penny’s standard - you could go the whole game without moving anything but your fingers - Charlie stood with one foot behind the other, bent forward like she was ready to take off running. She squinted at the floor-sized board with great concentration. Whatever they lacked in skill, Junior Welters players made up for intensity.

One of the red-shirt students rolled the globe, which settled in the upper right hand corner of the board, then raised her hand and carefully worked her way through three poppers. Each was painstakingly drawn, giving Penny flashbacks to his own training, but slowly a tiny shoot began to grow up from the square where the globe had landed. The little plant wavered, straining under the power of uncertain seven-year old magic. The audience held its breath, a whole roomful of adults sensing just how precarious this magic was.

Charlie had less restraint. “Yeah, go Samantha!” she yelled, punching a fist in the air to emphasize her team spirit. 

Samantha was just as excited with her achievement. Unfortunately, as soon as she turned around to yell “Mom, look!” towards the bleachers, her concentration broke and the plant crumpled to dust. The other side let out a cheer and Samantha’s face fell.

Charlie turned on the other team. “That’s rude!” she yelled, stepping out of position like she was about the charge across the room. 

“Charlotte, keep your head in the game! And stay on your square!” the coach roared from the sidelines. Charlie returned to her spot, but with her arms folded across her chest and a fierce glare aimed at her rivals. Penny hid his own smile from the other parents, who tended not to appreciate Charlie’s enthusiasm.

The other team took their turn, and the boy at the anchor position managed a perfect, but very boring light spell over one of the easier squares. That won the blue team a lot more points than Samantha’s failed plant, because Welters was a fucked-up game no matter what Harriet said about precision mattering more than power. Next up was the red team, and Charlie’s turn to throw.

“Don’t overdo it, Charlotte,” the coach called out.

Penny jumped to his feet. “Yeah, get ‘em Charlie!” he yelled. Charlie’s head whipped around, and after a few seconds of squinting, she spotted him.

“Hi, Daddy!” she yelled, totally forgetting the game. Penny almost laughed at the frustrated expression on the coach’s face.

“You kick that board’s ass, baby,” he called. A nearby parent gave a scandalous gasp, but Penny called on what Kady called his “bouncer look” and she fell silent.

“I will, Daddy!” Focus restored, Charlie turned her attention back to the board. 

Her first toss… missed the board entirely and hit the teammate beside her. Penny winced, though not as much as the boy who was probably going to have a bruise on his leg. None of that deterred Charlie. “Sorry, sorry,” she yelled and grabbed the ball back. “I’ll go again.” The coach hid his face in his hands and the referee rolled his eyes, but they allowed it. On the second throw, Charlie got the ball going in the right direction and landed on a square about halfway down the board to the right. A low murmur of “oohs” went up across the room.

“Difficulty level four,” the ref called out. “Organic matter.”

Charlie screwed her face up in an expression very reminiscent of Alice. She brought her hands up, holding them still for a long moment, until even her team looked like they were getting restless. Penny could hear the other parents whisper to themselves and the coach’s face begin to redden with annoyance. “Leave her alone,” he muttered. Charlie just took a little longer to get ready for magic than most people, that was all. She was fine once she got started.

A second later, her hands snapped through a combination of poppers Penny had never seen before, and, out of nowhere, there was suddenly some sort of… mole?… it was hard to see through the line of kids, but there was a creature on the board, very disoriented, possibly slightly drunk and scrambling its way in a wobbly, wavering line for the blue team.

The blue team screamed and tried to back off the board. The coach’s face was the same color as his shirt. The ref blew his whistle frantically, apparently forgetting that it was his job to break the spells if they got out of control. And then Charlie appeared on the other side of the board, scooped up the creature, pressed a kiss to its head, and made it vanish. Silence fell across the room.

“That’s my daughter!” Penny yelled.

Half an hour later, Charlie was still grumbling as they left the auditorium. “I didn’t cheat,” she said, face screwed up with a seven-year old’s sense of injustice. “I’m not a cheater.”

“I know, kiddo.” Penny ruffled her hair. “Some people are just dicks, okay? But don’t tell your mom I said that.”

Charlie giggled. “It’s funny, because his name is Coach Dick. And Mommy says bad words all the time when she thinks I can’t hear.” Her laughter faded quickly into a frown. Penny could never quite adjust to how fast kids’ emotions snapped back and forth. “But why was he mad that I Traveled?”

Penny scowled back in the direction of the gym. It had taken a lot more restraint than he’d once had not to deck the coach for that insinuation. “Some magicians don’t like Travelers,” he reminded Charlie. “Because they know what that means. The other team thought maybe you were reading their minds. But you know the rules, right?”

“Only read minds when I have to,” Charlie said glumly. “Or if it’s you or Mommy and you said it’s okay.”

“That’s right.” Alice had been leery about even that much of an exception, but mind-reading had saved Penny more than once when he was younger. “So I trust you, and Mommy trusts you. Who cares what the rest of them think?”

“I care if I get kicked off the team,” she grumbled. “Especially after I did an or-organ -”

“Organic matter.”

“And then the ref didn’t want to give me points for it! Just because I got off my square. But the other kids were scared and I was just trying to help.”

“I know.”

“And the rat was scared too,” she added. “I wish I didn’t have to make it go away. Do you think I could make another one? For a pet?”

_Rat?_ Penny thought. “Maybe we should start with a goldfish or something. Where did you learn that spell, anyway?”

“Mommy’s friend taught me,” she said. “Isn’t it cool?” 

“It is. I had no idea my kid could kick Welters butt like that.”

Charlie perked up enough for Penny to hope she’d forgotten all about the disaster of the game, but as they were leaving the gymnasium, she said, “Why doesn’t Coach Reid like you?”

Penny shrugged. “Probably because I’m more handsome than him.”

She giggled, but shook her head. “He doesn’t like Mommy, either. It’s because you work for the Liberry, right?”

“Library. And, yeah, it is. Some people don’t like the Library that much. But it’s okay. That’s not anything for you to worry about.”

“But why don’t they like them?”

Penny thought of the rants Kady had gone on, years ago when they were new to their contracts. _The hedgewitch recruitment speech,_ he’d teased her once. He wondered what she’d do if faced with giving that speech to a six year- old.

“Some people,” he said carefully, “think everyone should have access to whatever kind of magic they want.”

“Me,” Charlie said immediately. “I think that.”

Penny laughed. “Okay, well, your Aunt Kady would be happy to hear that. But some other people, they think that a lot of magic is really dangerous and it’s more important to keep people safe, and make sure magic’s being used for the right kind of things.”

“Oh.” Charlie frowned. “That’s what the Library does?”

“That’s right.”

“But Mommy - oh! Mommy!” Charlie lost interest in the topic as she spotted her mother’s car.

Penny trailed behind his daughter as she flung herself at Alice, babbling a million words a minute. 

“A rat, really?” Alice glanced up with a skeptical look, and her eyes widened when Penny nodded. “That’s incredible! I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks. And then Coach Reid got mad, ‘cause I Traveled - “

“He has no right - “

“I know, Mommy, _listen_. Daddy already told him that.”

“Well, that’s good.” Alice finally turned her attention to him. “Hi, Penny. I didn’t expect you to be here.”

“Case finished up early,” Penny said, figuring she’d be able to read the whole report if she really wanted to. Alice might be a new Librarian, but she’d moved up in security clearance fast. “So I thought I’d come by and see Charlie play.”

Alice frowned a little. “You didn’t fight with Coach Reid, did you?” Her voice dropped lower. “You know you have to be careful - “

“Relax. I know.” Technically his contract with the Library was due to criminal behavior, probation of sorts, even though in Penny’s case his “crime” had been seriously rigged. Any hint of using magic outside the lines, except for when he was acting as a Library Agent, could get that contract extended. “Trust me, I can stick to using my words if it means I get done with the Library on time.”

“Good.” Alice’s expression relaxed. “It’s nice to see you. I mean, you look… great.” She smiled, but it didn’t look fully natural. Alice had never bothered to do her awkward impression of a person who cared about social norms with him, before.

“You too.” He couldn’t help notice that it was true; she was wearing a dark blue dress that contrasted with her pale hair, and more makeup than usual. “Got plans tonight?”

“Oh, um…No. I mean, yes, but not - you know. I’m meeting a friend, that’s all.” She fussed with the full skirt of her dress.

And, okay, Penny had not actually meant to imply that she had a date, but her reaction made it pretty obvious. He knew he should say something to smooth over this moment - all exes had this, right, when one got someone new and the other could choose to either make a thing of it or act like a damned grown-up.

“Have fun,” he finally said. “With your friend.”

“But Daddy, I want to go for ice cream!”

Penny smiled down at Charlie. “Another time, okay kiddo? You’re mom’s got plans tonight and I guess you’ve got a babysitter.” There, that sounded normal. 

Alice still had a little distressed line between her eyebrows. “Penny…”

“No, it’s cool. I should probably get going,” he said. “I actually have plans tonight too.” And then, because he wasn’t about to make up a fake date just because her having one had thrown him off his game, he added, “I gotta meet up with Kady.”

“Oh.” Some mix of disappointment and relief went across Alice’s face. “Tell her I said hi. I haven’t talked to her in forever.”

Penny felt bad about that part; Kady and Alice had been friends, once, and Alice had never had many of those. Though apparently she had at least one now. “I’ll let her know she should drop by your office sometime,” he said, doubting that would happen. No matter how many times he told her that their split was amicable and best for everyone, Kady insisted it was Alice’s fault.

He didn’t like to look closely at how that made him feel.

“I would love that.” Alice paused. “And you and I need to talk, too, about the arrangements. For when you finish your contract.”

Joint custody, she meant. That had been Penny’s one ultimatum, when he left. Once his contract was done and the Library couldn’t just drag him off to another dimension without a warning, he got equal time with Charlie. Alice had never tried to stand in the way of that.

If they’d been anywhere near as good at being a couple as they were at sharing a kid, he thought, they’d have actually worked out.

He forced a smile. “We’ll talk about it,” he said.

Alice’s eyebrows scrunched together in that intense expression she got when she needed to say something important but she didn’t trust the other person to understand. “That offer… you know it stands no matter what you decide, don’t you?”

“I’m out when my contract’s up, Alice,” he said. He knew he sounded a lot less friendly now, but he couldn’t hide it. “I decided that a long time ago.” _And so did you, until you changed your mind without so much as mentioning it to me beforehand._

It had been the last in a long line of decisions Alice had not felt they needed to make together.

“Of course.” Alice ducked her head, little rabbit-fast nods. “I know. Well, anyway, we’ll talk.” She put on a smile for Charlie. “Come on, sweetie, we need to hurry and get home so I can make you dinner.”

“Shouldn’t we just get takeout so you don’t set your dress on fire?” Charlie asked.

“I have never done that.”

“C’mon, kiddo, give your mom a break.” Penny knelt down to pull his daughter into a hug. “See you soon, ‘kay?”

“Love you, Daddy!” Charlie pulled away and ran to the car. Alice gave him an awkward nod, then followed.

For a minute, Penny thought about calling her back and offering to take the babysitter’s place. Even though he came back to Modesto every chance he got, it was rare to have a full night when he knew he wouldn’t be pulled away for a case. He could spend it with Charlie, maybe watch that cartoon series she’d been talking about. He could cook her a real meal and not destroy their - Alice’s - kitchen in the process. 

Then he imagined sitting with his daughter in front of the TV he’d bought, on the couch where he and Alice had curled up in the early days when living together had been new and amazing, and watching her come in after her date. Maybe come in _with_ her date.

He pulled out his cell phone as he turned away. He could be in New York in seconds and that Greek place Kady loved did take out.

***

“Alice on a date?” Kady tossed the bowl of butter-and-cinnamon drenched popcorn on the table, then dropped onto the couch beside Penny and kicked her legs up. “I can’t see it.” Her hair was still wet from her shower, and she spread it out over the top of the couch so it wouldn’t soak through her T-shirt. Penny had caught her coming in from the Library, and the scent of the gyros he’d been carrying had been too much to resist, so they’d eaten first before she went to clean up. 

“Don’t be mean.” Penny turned his attention away from the TV, where he was flipping through the streaming options. He liked to make fun of her for spending every cent the Library allowed, but he always took advantage of the entertainment set up when he was visiting. 

“I’m not saying she couldn’t _get_ a date,” Kady said. “It’s not like I didn’t think about it before you two got involved.” Okay, she’d maybe taken a look, out of curiosity more than real interest, back when Alice was just Penny’s weird friend - but it was worth it for his startled expression. 

“She wasn’t my type, though,” she went on, just to watch him squirm. “Too quiet. Too blonde. Too likely to want to talk the next morning.”

Penny grabbed another beer from the six-pack he’d brought along with their dinner. “Alice is not the talking type,” he said. “And you can stop now.”

“You’re no fun.” She grabbed the remote out of his hand. “I don’t know what you’re looking for. We already agreed we’re watching _Chicago_.”

“Ugh, not again.”

“You interrupted my night, that means I get to pick the movie.” She found it on her list of recent watches and hit play. “You could have stayed home and been sad and bored by yourself.”

“What are you talking about? I am not sad,” he said around a mouthful of popcorn. 

“Right. You just decided to crash my night while your ex goes on a date. Total coincidence, not at all about you being in your feelings.”

“Shut up.” 

The opening song started up, Catherine Zeta-Jones slinking all over the place, and Kady settled in to enjoy herself. She’d picked the movie mostly because Penny liked it and would never admit that, but anyone could appreciate Catherine. 

“You ever do this one?” Penny asked.

“Not on stage. Even the shittiest high schools I went to didn’t think murder and adultery were appropriate for teenage performances. But I did this song for a recital when I took voice lessons for a couple of months.” She cleared her throat, then sang along to the soundtrack, straining just a little on the low notes. _“Come on, babe, why don’t we paint the town…”_

She had a very clear memory of the first time she’d sung in front of Penny. It was a few months after they’d begun… well, talking wasn’t where they’d started, but it was where they’d ended up, mostly, out on the fountains of the Neitherlands at night after a grueling training session, sometimes alone, sometimes with the other trainees. Kady had still been drinking then, though she was off the hard stuff. That night they’d had cheap vodka, the kind that felt like paint thinner on your insides, and Kady had finished off the bottle and climbed up on the Poison Room fountain - that was a good one, since it was locked and you couldn’t fall in. She didn’t remember why she’d started singing, whether Marina had bullied her into it with her usual mix of pride in Kady’s talents and creepy sense of ownership, or if it had been a whim of her own. It had been one of the numbers from Gypsy, probably, since that was her favorite, but what she really remembered was being just drunk enough to get into the performance, even up there in front of a bunch of people she barely knew, forgetting not to enjoy herself. When the song finished, she’d looked up and seen Penny staring at her, grinning like she’d never seen from him even that _other_ night, and instead of being embarrassed, she’d found herself smiling back.

He’d tried to compliment her on it later - nothing too much, but he’d said something like “you’re not bad,” and she’d brushed him off but she’d been pleased. 

When she’d finished her Zeta-Jones imitation he said, “See, if I wasn’t here, you wouldn’t have an audience. You should be grateful.”

She shrugged. “Grateful for dinner. I was starving.”

“I could tell. Did you really spend all day at work, on your day off?”

“Yeah, just running that damn locator spell over and over. The Library is hiding something about this guy, Penny.”

“Aren’t they always hiding something?”

She sighed. “It’s frustrating. We work for them and even we can’t say that they’re doing it for a good reason, or what that reason could even be.”

“Cogs in the wheel,” he agreed. “At least we’re almost out.”

“That won’t make the problem go away.”

“No, but it won’t be ours.” He tilted his head back to drain the beer, attention on Renee Zellwegger as she fluttered her eyelashes at the police officer investigating the murder of her husband. “What are you going to do? When it’s all over? Got any plans?” 

“You know my plans,” she said. She kept her eyes on the movie, but just the mention of the subject made her stomach clench, and she knew he noticed her reaction. He shifted a little, just casually sliding down into a more comfortable position on the couch, his thigh brushing hers. 

“Right, which one is it this week? Private investigator or bodyguard to the stars?” 

For years, Kady had made up stories about what she would do when they were free of their contracts, each less likely than the rest. It had been a fun game for a while, but she thought he was beginning to catch on. Kady knew if she’d said that she was going to sell all the horrific but expensive art she’d collected in this apartment and live off the proceeds, Penny wouldn’t have judged her, but for some reason she couldn’t bring herself to lie like that. And it was too soon for the truth, not if she wanted to keep what they had for at least a few more months.

“Actually, I was thinking tattoo artist.” 

“I’ve seen your sketches. I’d get one.” 

“Yeah? But would you trust me with the needle?”

“I trust you with anything.” 

Penny was always saying shit like that. In the beginning, he’d thrown it out like a challenge, like he was daring her to be worthy of it. Now the trust was so implicit between them that him speaking it out loud always sounded like something more. She was aware of how close they were sitting, the brush of their legs both comforting and not, and she had the odd thought that maybe she should have put on some pants before she sat down. They did this all the time, most weekends since his split from Alice, hanging around her apartment with snacks and movies, falling asleep propped up against each other, and every time there was one of these moments, just a brief pause in their platonic routine. It never lasted and she knew it didn’t mean anything. They’d chosen not to go down this path a long time ago, and Kady couldn’t regret that, not when it meant they’d avoided a train wreck and gotten this instead. But when these moments struck, she liked to breathe them in and wonder _what if._ And to imagine that he was doing the same thing.

Penny rescued them from the moment, like he always did. “Now, if I was asleep, that would be a different thing,” he said. “Wouldn’t trust you not to tattoo ‘idiot’ on my face or something.”

She snickered, relieved and disappointed that the moment was over. “What about you?” she asked. “What are your big plans?”

“You know I don’t have any.” He eyed the next beer in the six-pack, then picked it up. Kady raised her eyebrows, but didn’t comment; she’d told Penny years ago that she didn’t mind him drinking, but he usually kept it in check anyway. “Except see as much of Charlie as I can.”

“Too bad things didn’t work out with Alice. You could have been a stay-at-home dad. Oh, hey. What about if we find you a rich lady to be your sugar momma and then you can stay home and take care of the kid? Older ladies always like you.” 

“Not funny. Especially since I know who you’re going to suggest.”

“Sunderland was into it.” Penny had met Pearl Sunderland while working a job with Alice, and it was actually Alice who’d joked about the older magician flirting with him non-stop. She hadn’t seemed to mind, which in retrospect probably should have been a sign of something. 

“Actually,” Penny said, suddenly looking shifty. “I, uh, I might be seeing someone.”

“Really?” Kady’s eyebrows shot up. “Who? It’s not that blonde in your apartment building, is it? The one who’s always hanging around your door and gives me dirty looks?”

“No.”

“Then…” She ran through the list of women they both knew but couldn’t come up with anyone. They mostly knew Librarians, who tended to be weird when it came to personal relationships. “Who?”

“No one you know,” he said, then relented and added, “No one I know either. Yet.” He dug his phone out of his pocket. “You gotta promise you aren’t going to laugh.”

“I’m not making that promise.”

“Then you don’t get to see,” he said, but she just gave him a look, halfway between _you-can’t-say-no-to-me_ and _I-could-hurt-you-without-even-using-my-hands_ and he relented. “Okay, fine. Remember, you were the one who suggested this.” He unlocked the screen and flipped through the apps. “Here.”

She took the phone and immediately started laughing. “Bspelled? Seriously?” She shook her head. “I mean, Hexed I would get, I told you I’ve used that.“

“Hookups are more your speed.”

The Penny she’d first met had preferred casual and one-night-only too, and she didn’t think she could really blame Alice for the change. “Nice pic,” she said, scanning the profile. “Best place for a date - the beach? Well, at least you didn’t say anything about long walks. Dog person, obviously. Well.” She tossed the phone back to him. “Good luck.”

For some reason, he looked uneasy. “You don’t think this is dumb?”

She shrugged. “No worse than any other way two people meet. I’ve definitely done dumber things for a fuck.” She paused. “Add your weird map-collecting thing.” She thought for a moment. “And for your best quality, put ‘loyalty.’”

“Yeah?” He looked pleased, which she ignored.

“Girls like specifics.”

“It’s not weird to collect maps when you’re a Traveler,” he said, but she saw him slide the phone back out of his pocket and tap out something on the screen. “So, yeah, I guess maybe I’ll date,” he said. “Get out of your hair.”

“That would be nice.” She focused back on the dancers on screen.

“Did you really have plans tonight?” 

“Maybe.”

He narrowed his eyes with sudden suspicion. “Getting booty-called by Marina is not a plan.”

“Ugh, no. We don’t do that anymore.” She paused, sipping her soda. “Not too often, anyway.” She noticed he was smiling. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. Just thinking that if I do meet someone, I’ll have to bring her to meet you. And your mom. And Harriet, I guess.”

“Good luck finding someone who wants all that baggage.” But she smiled, involuntarily, at the image of Penny bringing some random woman home to Hannah and Harriet. Hannah would be so pleased she’d probably forget all about her dreams of Kady’s future children.

“It’s non-negotiable,” he said.

And suddenly she felt like a bitch, reacting like this when Penny had no idea that she couldn’t see their friendship surviving the next six months, never mind a future full of his normal girlfriend and normal kid and normal, happy life. 

She stretched out her leg, her foot brushing his. Some of the cold faded.

Penny ended up falling asleep on the couch, drifting off while the murderesses sang about killing their deserving husbands. Kady thought about kicking him, maybe joking about how he couldn’t handle his alcohol now that he was thirty. Or maybe she’d take a picture; the image of him sprawled with his head back and his mouth open, snoring lightly, was too tempting. But instead of reaching for her phone, she found herself just sitting there, careful not to move and wake him up. 

When the movie ended, she switched off the TV and got up, cleaning up the popcorn and drinks as quietly as she could. Penny was just stirring when she made it back to the living room.

“C’mon, the couch isn’t that comfortable,” she said, tugging on his arm.

“Not gonna kick you out of your bed,” he mumbled, wrapping his arms around one of her cushions. 

Penny had spent his share of nights on her couch, sometimes because they’d both fallen asleep there, other times because he was hanging around when Kady was on edge and couldn’t sleep, keeping watch without admitting that’s what he was doing while she worked out or did research or just paced around. But there had also been plenty of nights when worn out from a job gone on for days, they’d crashed in her bed. And Kady knew her couch wasn’t really that comfortable.

“You won’t,” she promised. “I’m not that generous.” She tugged again, and this time he got up and followed her up the winding stairs to the second floor. Kady technically had guest rooms, but none of them were set up for that; the only bed in the whole apartment was her enormous, pillow-strewn monstrosity in the master bedroom. Penny burrowed deep into the layers of comforters while she went to brush her teeth.

She thought he was asleep by the time she came back and crawled in the other side, shifting around until she settled in. The bed was big enough that they had a whole foot between them. “‘Night,” she said, not expecting a response. 

His breathing changed, and for a moment Kady had the crazy thought that he would move, roll over, reach - but then it evened out again and he was out.

She thought she’d be awake for a long time, but the lingering exhaustion of the previous night mingled with the comforting sound of his breathing and she drifted off.

***

On Friday morning, everyone at the office was staring at Julia. 

She knew she had a paranoid streak - earned, thank you very much - but she wasn’t imagining this. Julia was used to a certain amount of attention in the hallways of the McAllister Corporation - her work was well-known, and everyone knew she would have been made a VP by now if it weren’t for her weird quirk about not performing magic, which was gossip-worthy all by itself - but usually the attention was less… amused. Julia tried a few friendly smiles, and those got even stranger reactions; some people tried to smile back, but most quickly looked away or pretended to see someone else they needed to talk to. Two younger male colleagues gave her _very_ friendly looks in return, and one young woman turned bright red and practically raced off down at the hall.

“What the hell is going on?” she asked when she reached Shoshanna’s desk.

Her assistant was hunched in front of her monitor, with Margo’s Todd at her side, peering over her shoulder. They both jumped at the sound of Julia’s voice, and Shoshanna bumped into the monitor “accidentally” as she stood, turning it out of Julia’s sight range. 

“Julia! You’re here!” she said brightly.

Well, it was maybe a little unusual for Julia to be on time for work, especially on a Friday. “I’m here,” she agreed, taking a sip from the cup Shoshanna handed her. Tea again, but at least it wasn’t chamomile, so Shoshanna wasn’t expecting her to flip out about whatever it was. “Hey, Todd,” she said. “Did Margo need something?” 

“She did. Shoshanna said you had time on your calendar, and I’m supposed to tell you that there are no excuses for cocking out on her. But, um, please remember that part came from Margo and not from me.”

“No worries, Todd. I’m always clear on where Margo’s more colorful imprecations come from.”

“Great. Well, then, I’ll, um…” He smiled, bright and a little awkward, between Julia and Shoshanna. “I’ll go.” He paused at the door to Shoshanna’s office. “I like dogs too,” he said, without any context.

“Oh?” Julia nodded slowly. “Well, yeah. Dogs are great.”

“They really are.”

“Goodbye, Todd,” Shoshanna said loudly, and he disappeared.

“That was weird,” Julia said. “What’s going on here? Is it the Fillory project?”

“What? Oh, no. I mean, Ms. Hanson does want to meet with you, but not about that.”

Julia rolled her eyes. “You knew her when she was a deposed queen on the run, Shoshanna. You can call her by her first name.”

Shoshanna gave Julia an unusually somber look. It was easy to dismiss her as just another quirky Fillorian - loyal to a degree Julia usually failed to deserve, but still too strange to be taken seriously. But every once in a while she got a look like this, and Julia was reminded that Shoshanna had been serving a god when Julia was still figuring out algebra. 

“I’m proud of you,” Shoshanna said.

“… Thank you?”

“It’s a good step. I know you’ve been reluctant to involve other people in your life, and no one understands that more than I do. But we can’t remain chained by the past.”

“Right.” So this _was_ about the Fillory project?

“And it’s not like you have to make a commitment immediately, of course. This is just a first step to fattening your horizons.”

“I believe the phrase is broadening.” Julia was beginning to get uncomfortable with the look of pleased… relief?… on Shoshanna’s face. “So, about my schedule - “

“Bspelled is totally reliable,” Shoshanna added. “I use it myself.” And Julia’s brain, already moving on to planning out her day, screeched to a halt.

“I’m sorry, _what_?”

Five minutes later, she sat in front of the computer on her desk, Shoshanna firmly banished back to the outer office and her phone in her hand, staring in horror at her screen. “Quentin,” she said dangerously, “what the fuck?”

“Okay, but I can explain.” Her best friend’s anxiety came through clearly over the phone, and for once Julia felt no desire to do anything to soothe it. Quentin should be anxious. She was about to show up at his apartment and hex him into a frog. “It wasn’t my idea.”

“This whole thing was your idea,” Julia said. “But you said it was a game, Q. We were doing it just for fun. You weren’t going to post it.”

“And I didn’t!” he said. “I just… well, we were drinking, right, and you know I’m kind of clumsy - “

“Are you trying to tell me you posted it by accident?”

“Ah…” There was something going on in the background on Quentin’s end; she could hear movement, like Quentin was wrestling over something, and then another voice was on the phone.

“Hi, Julia.” Even years into their adult lives, it was bizarre to hear Eliot awake at nine a.m. “I apologize for Quentin’s terrible excuses. He didn’t post that profile. I did. He’d done such a nice job with it, it seemed a waste to just delete it.”

“Eliot!” Quentin yelled in the background.

“He thinks you’ll be upset,” Eliot went on, unperturbed. Julia could imagine the scene playing out in their apartment; Eliot twisting around nimbly to keep the phone out of Quentin’s grasp while Q jumped around him, trying to get it back. “Anyway, Bambi should have made an appointment with you by now - “

“ _Margo_ is in on this?” Julia glared in the direction of the door, Todd’s babbling suddenly making a lot more sense. “Eliot, do you realize my entire office has seen this thing?” 

“Well, of course, they have. All the magicians in New York use Bspelled. Or Hexed, but - Q, stop it - “

“I can’t have my co-workers seeing this - this - “ There was a picture of her drunk and waving a champagne bottle!

“You could just go look up theirs if you’re so interested.” Which just left her contemplating the horror of coming across whatever Edwin McAllister considered an alluring picture. Eliot’s voice now sounded much further away, like he was holding the phone above his head and out of Quentin’s reach. “I know you’re mad, but you’ll thank us later. We love you, but you need a kick in the ass, Jules, and that’s what this is. Go on a date. Have fun. Get laid, if that will make you feel better.” He paused. “And please forgive Quentin, he’s making the sad puppy eyes and you know I can’t deal with that.”

“Quentin’s forgiven,” Julia said. “It’s you I’m going to kill.” She hung up and slumped back in her chair, staring numbly at the screen.

A few minutes later, when Margo arrived, she was frantically clicking through Bspelled’s terms of service. “Calm down, Julia,” Margo said, closing the door behind her. 

“I can’t calm down,” Julia said. “Your boyfriends put this thing online without even telling me my own password, and now I can’t delete it. That’s got to be against the rules, right? I can just… call somewhere… and they’ll take it down?”

“Maybe, if you threatened to sue,” Margo said. “But there’s an easier way. I have the password.” Margo crossed her arms, that smug look on her face that meant she had examined a situation from every angle and there was no way for the other person to win. 

“What do I give you in exchange?” Julia asked, resigned.

“Nothing,” Margo said. Julia shot her a disbelieving look, and she smiled. “I swear, I’m not asking for a thing. The boys talked me into doing this as a favor. To you,” she added, “not them. Or maybe to all of us. The terms are, one date. You pick someone - and I help, because we’re not having you choose some troglodyte - you go on one date, and if you hate it and don’t want to do it again, fine. I’ll give you the password and you can delete your profile. But if you have a good time, then you have to give this a shot.”

“This is ridiculous,” Julia said. 

“Probably,” Margo agreed. “I thought we’d be much better off if I just set you up with someone, but apparently I have ‘questionable taste.’ So what is it? Do I help you pick a date or do we leave that thing up for the whole company to gawk at forever?”

Julia’s pride warred with her deep desire not to become the bisexual lush of the company. And fuck, she’d talked about the Floating Islands… She sighed, tilting her head back and closing her eyes. “One date?”

“Just one.”

“Fine.”

“Yes!” Margo clapped her hands, excited like she only got before a makeover or a takedown, and circled around Julia’s desk to lean over her shoulder. “Now let’s pick someone out.”

Margo rejected Julia’s first three choices - the first because Julia was “not even trying,” the second because of his hairstyle (“you do not want that much grease on your pillows”) and the third, a perfectly lovely blonde woman with glasses because… well, Julia didn’t get an explanation for that one, but she could guess the problem. Margo dated a lot of people.

“This is why a magicians-only dating site is a terrible idea,” Julia pointed out. “We could play six degrees of Margo with this thing.”

Margo, who had never lacked confidence when it came to her sex life, just grinned. “Funny, because I remember you having a different girl each weekend back at Brakebills, and half of them are probably on here,” she said, which just raised a whole other set of problems in Julia’s eyes. The older woman gave her a speculative look as she continued flipping through profiles, moving too fast for Julia to catch more than scant images. “How come we never hooked up?” she asked. “Too intimidated?”

“Hardly.” None of the people Julia had been involved with back at Brakebills had meant very much; the Julia at Brakebills hadn’t had time for that. “What about that one?” 

Margo paused on the profile. “Him?” she asked. “Really? I mean, the looks, sure - ”

“Why not?” Okay, maybe Julia had just been picking someone to pick them, but the face on the screen was a nice one, attached to a _very_ nice body, and his smile was sweet but a little dangerous, an intriguing combination. She leaned forward to scan the attached profile. “He likes dogs,” she said. “And the beach. I like the beach.”

“When have you ever gone to the beach?”

“Okay, _Quentin_. And he - whoa.” Julia pointed. “He collects maps.”

Margo raised her eyebrows. “And that’s significant because?”

“Because I - oh, never mind. Do you want me to pick someone or not?”

“He’s not terrible,” Margo admitted, like it pained her to say it. “Nothing gross in his profile. Not classically trained, but that’s good. Means there’s probably nothing too incestuous in his background. Okay. I approve.” She typed quickly, blocking Julia’s view with her shoulder. “You’re asking him to drinks tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” A sinking feeling immediately started up in Julia’s stomach. It was one thing to find a picture attractive, and maybe imagine going on a date with a phantom guy; it was another to actually have this real person out there suddenly a part of her future. 

“All you have to do is follow the rules.” Margo gave her a pointed look.

“I know, I know. No cocking out.”

“Good girl.” Margo smiled back at the screen. “And maybe you’ll be lucky, and this Penny Adiyodi will be worth the trouble.”


	6. Chapter 6

“Is this working?”

Penny sighed, leaning forward on his elbows so he could hold his wrists near his mouth and not look suspicious talking to himself. “I can’t believe you talked me into this.”

“It’s a safety measure.” Kady’s homemade distance communication spell wasn’t quite the same quality as the Library’s; the casting was perfect, but the charms she’d used didn’t hold the spell the way the Library’s pins did. The effect was as if her voice was coming from over a bad cell line, or underwater. “You have no idea who this woman is.”

“She’s my date,” Penny said. “I really doubt she’s going to try to kill me. Not unless I’m a lot worse at this than I thought.”

“Maybe, but Zelda said Reynard would be after us because of what happened to his son,” Kady said. “And now this woman suddenly asks you out? I don’t trust it.”

“‘Cause that’s only how dating sites work.” Penny looked around the street from his place at the open-air bar. He had a picture of the woman he was meeting, and she’d messaged him that she’d be wearing a red dress, but he still wasn’t convinced he’d recognize her. “You were the one who encouraged me to do this.”

“All I said was it wasn’t any worse than any other way to meet someone.” Even over the fuzzy connection, Kady sounded disgruntled. “I’d feel a lot better about this if you would tell me who she is.”

“No names. I’m not having you do a background check.”

Kady didn’t even try to deny it. “If her book is connected to Reynard’s - “

“You wouldn’t be able to find out anyway. All those books are blacked out.” He smiled, since she couldn’t see him. Kady’s concern was sweet, if a little paranoid. She’d punch him if he said that, though. “She’s just a nice classically trained girl who writes spells and likes dogs and museums,” he said. “She’s not an assassin.”

“Wow, sounds like you’re in love with her already.” The connection didn’t do anything to mute sarcasm.

“Don’t be an idiot.” Penny was curious about Julia Wicker’s profile, okay. No one else on Bspelled listed Fillory as their favorite vacation spot. Penny had been to Fillory twice, tracking down rogue magicians, and thought the place was fucking weird - one of those magicians had been a damned bear, walking around in a hat and drinking at the local pub - but still, off-world travel was unusual for magicians not associated with the Library. Julia’s profile said she was a metacomposer, a rare discipline, and he wondered who she worked for, or if her travel really had been just for fun. It would be nice to be with someone who wanted to explore like that. Penny thought he’d like that, once he was done with the Library, going off-world just to see what was out there, what it meant to be a Traveler who got to direct his own traveling.

But he couldn’t say any of that, not with Kady looking for anything that made his date stand out in an investigation, so instead he said, “She collects magical maps.”

There was a pause, and then Kady said, “And you really think _that’s_ a coincidence? You only put that on two days ago!”

“Yes, which, again, is how these sites - oh.” A flash of red caught his eye and he sat up. “I have to go. I think she’s here.”

“Okay, remember the rules.” Kady suddenly started talking faster. “Don’t tell her about the Library. Or that you’re a Traveler. Or - “

“Goodbye Kady.” He lowered his wrist, thankful that Kady had at least chosen a charm attached to a woven bracelet that matched his usual off-work style. She’d shown up with it that morning, even though he hadn’t told her when the date was going to be.

_“What if I was taking her to a fancy restaurant and wearing a suit?” he’d asked._

_“Then I’d be less concerned about this date and more about you being possessed,” she’d said. “You’re obviously going to take her to a bar, probably one with outdoor seating so they can’t complain about your problem with buttons - “_

_“ - I don’t have a_ problem _\- “_

_“And then you’ll offer to walk her home and put the moves on her. Come on like you do.”_

_“I - what?”_

_“You know. All smoldering and intense. Making her think that falling into bed with you is so inevitable there’s no point considering anything else. Your thing.” Penny had just stared at her, because that sounded an awful lot like Kady talking about - but no, she never brought that up. Neither of them did. “And then if she’s not interested,” Kady went on, “you’ll give her a polite kiss on the cheek and put her in a cab.”_

_She said it like this was some deep insight into his character. “Yeah, that’s called not being an asshole,” he said._

_“I know.” Kady shook her head, like there was something amusing about that, then shoved the bracelet into his hand. “Wear it. It goes perfectly with any buttonless shirt.”_

She’d badgered him with her fears about Reynard’s associates and the “huge coincidence” of a woman wanting to date him until he’d agreed to wear the bracelet out of fear that she’d otherwise spend the whole afternoon sitting at the other end of the bar.

Suddenly remembering how the pins the Library used worked, he raised his arm again. “No watching us in a mirror, Kady,” he hissed, and heard her sigh.

And then he had to cut off the contact and hope she’d listen, because Julia Wicker was there.

She looked enough like her picture that Penny was pretty sure he’d have recognized her even without the crimson dress she was wearing, but there were differences too. She was tiny, for one, which he hadn’t expected. Her hair was fancier than in her picture, all loose waves, but she was wearing less makeup. She walked into the outdoor bar like she owned the place, but he thought he caught a flash of anxiety in her eyes. He raised a hand, and saw her take a deep breath before she approached his table.

“Penny?” she asked.

“Hi, yeah.” He stood up, intending to offer a kiss - _shut up, Kady_ , he thought - but accepted her hand when she stuck it out to shake instead. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You, too.” He wasn’t sure he totally believed her, but her smile was still really nice. She hooked her bag on the back of her chair and sat down opposite him. “Oh, you already ordered? I’m not late, am I?”

She said it like she knew damn well she wasn’t. “No, I, uh… nerves, I guess,” he said, waving his beer bottle.

Her eyes narrowed. “You don’t seem like the nervous type. At least, your profile didn’t.”

He laughed. “Okay, anticipation then.”

“More believable.” She waved down the waiter and ordered a glass of red - Penny raised his eyebrows when she named one he’d never heard of, but could guess was expensive; he’d heard some things about what Brakebills really taught its students - then turned back to him. “So. What made you do this?”

“Just looking to meet people. It seems like we have a lot in common.”

“Right. The profile. Um…” She sighed. “Look, can I be honest with you? I filled that profile out as a joke.”

He raised his eyebrows. “So you don’t like dogs or collect maps?”

“I… well, no, I do. But I wasn’t intending to create it. My best friend just thought it would help me - well, anyway, I didn’t mean to submit it, but then his husband - and there’s this thing with my ex - you know what, it’s a long story. The short version is, my friends think I need to get out more so they set this whole thing up.”

“Huh.” Penny took a sip of his beer. “Well, if it’s any comfort, my best friend thinks this was a terrible idea. Even though she was the one who made me put the map thing down. She said girls like things that are personal.”

“It’s what made me notice you,” Julia admitted. “That and, um…” She looked like she was fighting not to smile. “You know, the picture.”

Penny couldn’t help grinning at that. The picture was one Kady had taken, two years back when they’d gone to the beach with Charlie. “Your picture was pretty nice, too,” he said. “I appreciate a girl who can hold her… was that Cristal?”

“God, I don’t even remember, but knowing my friend Eliot, probably nothing so obvious.” Penny took a moment to consider her. She still had that stiff body language, like she wasn’t sure she wanted to be there, but when her eyes met his she smiled a little.

“How about this?” he said. He reached across the table and took her hand, holding her eyes in what was definitely not a smolder, _Jesus Kady who talks like that?_ “We forget about our friends for now and just see where this goes?”

She nodded slowly. “Okay,” she said. “I’d like that.”

***

Kady rolled her eyes as Penny’s voice took on _that_ tone. She was so used to the version of Penny that was her sweet, perpetually exasperated best friend that it was strange when he shifted back into the walking sex dream she’d first known. The woman - and it was irritating as hell that Kady couldn’t see her, but she had promised no mirrors and literally spying on their date was probably crossing some kind of line - seemed to be responding, because of course she was. Assured that nothing worse than Penny convincing this random woman from Bspelled to go make out with him in the alley behind the bar was likely to happen in the next few minutes, Kady dropped the pendant with her half of the communications spell under her shirt and turned her attention to her own mission for the afternoon.

The Stonery occupied a prime corner spot in Greenwich Village, in an old building that had probably once been an artist’s loft. The upper floors held clothing stores featuring a lot of flowing colorful fabrics displayed in the windows - Kady caught a glimpse of a shirt that Penny absolutely would wear and made a note to come back for it - and the entire first floor was given over to the Stonery. The bakery-slash-cafe was mostly patronized by people who looked like they shopped in those stores, though on weekdays Kady knew they were joined by plenty of gentrifying office-types. Kady, in her black jeans and T-shirt, felt out of place in a way that made her skin itch, half wondering who was looking at her and half embarrassed at what a freaking normal she’d turned into. The hedgewitch she’d been ten years ago would be so embarrassed.

There was always a line at the Stonery. Partially because of the secret menu, but even the regular, non-“enhanced” baked goods were worth the insanely high prices. Kady scanned the other customers as she waited her turn at the register. A good third of them were magicians. It wasn’t like they wore signs, but the hints were there, sometimes obvious in their tattoos and jewelry, other times something more subtle about the way their hands moved or their eyes seemed to catch on things other people couldn’t see. The store and the outdoor seating area just beyond were heavily warded, dozens of interacting spells playing off each other to ensure the non-magical patrons didn’t notice anything suspicious. It was detailed work, and not for the first time, Kady wondered who had done it. She was better at warding than most people, but some of these spells used concepts she’d never even heard of.

Josh Hoberman, the owner of the place, was manning the register when Kady got there. “Hey,” he said brightly, face lighting up when he saw her. His voice dropped as he added, “What special treat can I offer my favorite Librarian?”

“Nothing _special_ for me,” she said. “And I’m an Agent, not a Librarian.”

Josh probably didn’t know the difference. Classically trained magicians, who learned the laws that governed magic alongside the spells, rarely had the misfortune of needing that information. Josh knew more than most, because the Stonery pulled so heavily on the magical pipeline that Kady and Penny had been sent in a few years ago to investigate. They’d turned up nothing suspicious, unless you counted Josh’s fondness for mixing mind-altering substances with the most expensive swiss chocolate, and once Josh had offered a few of his signature raspberry cheesecake tortes as “a gift for your coworkers,” Zelda had turned out to be susceptible to bribes. So the Stonery stayed open, and Kady got a discount whenever she needed a strong coffee to get her through a long day.

“I’ll do the usual,” she said. Josh began putting together her extra-large black coffee. “And one of those lemon cranberry cookies.”

“Ooh, an excellent choice.” He grinned like any artist with the opportunity to show off his work. “This is unusual for you,” he said, as he slipped her cookie into a bag. “You aren’t one for the sweets.”

“I’m not usually one with time to stick around for a snack,” she said. “But I’ve got a day off, so…”

“Nice. Well, enjoy it.” He smiled as he handed over her drink and snack, but his attention was already shifting to the customer behind her. Even the most personable business owner still had an eye for keeping the line moving.

Without much choice, Kady wandered away from the line and over to a seat by the window. What she really wanted to do was interrogate Josh, the only magician in the Library with a connection, however distant, to Reynard that she could find, but she couldn’t imagine an excuse to do that, and especially not one that would involve finding out whether any of his friends or family had ties to a hedgewitch crime lord. She always preferred the kind of interrogation that involved threatening to blow someone’s delicate parts off until they gave up what she wanted, but that was not a great idea with her favorite baker.

On a day this warm, the outdoor seating was tempting, but Kady settled inside by the window instead, figuring she could at least notice if any other patrons stopped to talk to Josh and maybe let slip a more personal relationship. Making a list of everyone the man knew and looking them up in the Index to see if they were blacked out would take forever, but Kady didn’t have many other options. If today didn’t pan out, she’d look into his personal life or maybe his family next. For now, she sat down with her back to one of the few walls that didn’t have windows and dug out her cookie, closing her eyes blissfully as the flavor exploded across her tongue. Damn, maybe it wasn’t so surprising that Zelda had let this place stay open.

The Stonery was almost aggressively quirky, with its brightly colored walls covered in abstract designs and the shelves of weird little statues and knick-knacks, a significant number of which Kady was pretty sure did not come from human cultures. The design reminded her a little of Penny’s apartment, with his taste for the odd and not-of-Earth, though as if Penny had done the decorating while really, really high. It didn’t help that about half the items looked like they were bongs, which, really, Penny would also appreciate - 

_Stop that_ , she told herself. 

With a sigh, she dug her pendant out from under her shirt, trusting that the wards surrounding her would protect her from anyone noticing. Maybe Penny was having more luck with his afternoon.

***

“So then she does this spell, I’ve never seen anything like it, and there’s a rat right there on the board. Scared the shit out the whole gym.” Penny shook his head, a little bewildered but clearly still the proud dad. Julia was fast learning that there was something very endearing about that, enough to shut down the tiny voice whispering _a man with a child is not going to have anything in common with a woman who can barely keep a ficus alive._ “I don’t even think the ref knew what to do. Probably not a rule for that.”

“Not for kids, maybe,” Julia said, taking a sip of her wine. “I played center on the Welters team at Brakebills and I think they had rules for everything.”

“Yeah?” Penny leaned back in his chair, picking up his own beer and frowning when he found it empty. They’d been talking for over an hour. “Were you any good?”

Julia shrugged. “I wasn’t terrible.” That sounded like false modesty even to her.

He laughed. “That means you were great.”

“We won a lot of games,” she admitted. “And yeah, I was the top scorer. My specialty was energy manipulation spells.”

“Knew it.”

“But it was really my friend Margo who was the reason we were so good. She ran the team like a drill sergeant. She actually had a spell a lot like your daughter’s. She’s the one who pushed me into doing this today.”

“Then I like Margo.” 

“You would, probably. She’d definitely like you.” And not just for the obvious reasons, the arms and chest that were barely hidden by the shirt he was only half-wearing. Penny was ridiculously good-looking, and smooth, and he knew it, but Julia found she didn’t mind that like she normally would. She was maybe even responding, just a little.

It was the way he had paid so much attention to her when she was talking, she thought. Even right now, he was rocking his chair back on his heels, absently spinning the bottle in his hand and studying her with obvious curiosity. Julia might not date a lot, but she was used to first dates being superficial. Cover the basic biographical details, and then it usually came down to the guy either talking about himself or trying to get into her pants, neither of which she had time for. Penny, though, came across like he was interested in her and Julia thought that was sincere. 

“I can’t picture you on a team with someone else in charge,” he said. “You seem like the leadership type.”

“What makes you say that?”

He shrugged. “The way you walk. The way you look. Taller than you are. Even when you were nervous earlier, you didn’t seem like someone asking for help.”

“You noticed I was nervous, huh?” His smile grew a little, a look in his eyes that made her cheeks felt warm. “Well, I guess you’re right. I’ve never been much of a follower.” 

“Too impatient with everyone else being slower and dumber?”

“Hah. Maybe. Or just bossy.”

“It’s not a bad thing.” 

“Oh, I know.” She gave him a speculative look. “Not a thing a lot of guys appreciate, though.”

“Was that the problem with your ex?”

Julia paused. “How did you know I have an ex?”

“Oh, come on. Your friends think you need to get out more? Enough to write a profile for you? That’s rebound territory.” His eyes could be doing anything from inviting her to confide in him to offering to work out her rebound feelings right there on the table in full view of the day drinking crowd. Julia shifted, not sure she completely hated how that smile made her feel. “So what was the problem? Too intimidated? Didn’t appreciate you?”

“No, nothing like that,” she said. “We just didn’t belong together anymore, you know?”

He nodded. “I get that.” 

“James was going to propose. He kept making jokes about wedding venues and rings and I realized that we couldn’t be together forever, and he was never going to get that on his own, so I made up some excuse and ended it.”

Penny looked thoughtful. “I thought about proposing to Alice a couple of times, when she got pregnant. I wouldn’t have done it, we weren’t really that type of couple, but I think the possibility freaked her out.”

_Good job, Julia, remind him of his ex. “_ I don’t mean that I would mind if - “

He caught her expression and laughed. “Hey, this is a first date, right? We don’t have to be compatible with everything.”

“No, I know, but - “ She made a face, figuring she’d shared enough as it was. “After school, I had a few years where I struggled a bit. James had known me before all that, and being with him was reassuring, but when I thought about that being it, forever, I just knew… that’s not how it’s supposed to be.” She shook her head. “Which, god, that sounds childish. What does ‘supposed to be’ even mean? But for me… yeah. I didn’t know what I wanted, but that relationship, it had crossed the line from safe to stifling.” She caught sight of his bemused face and groaned. “God, I’m sorry. You just wanted drinks and some normal conversation and here I am dumping my analysis of my failed relationship on you.”

“No, no. It’s good.” He smiled wryly. “I don’t think I’ll do the same - “

“Oh, please do. I deserve it.”

“Maybe next time.” He leaned forward, one elbow on the table, his hand falling near hers, almost believably accidental until he began to play lightly with her fingertips. 

“Next time, huh?” Julia fought the grin on her lips. “So I haven’t scared you off?”

“I don’t scare easily.”

“That is such a line.”

He laughed, and okay, that was a really nice laugh. Julia would not mind another afternoon listening to that, hopefully without dumping her emotional damage all over him first. 

“How about this?” he said. “You tell me about something fun.” He tapped her hand with one finger, just a light little touch that should not have felt like it went so far through her. “Tell me about your maps.”

So Julia let him flag down the waiter and order another round of drinks while she told him all about her first day at Brakebills, her first day knowing she was a magician, and how Henry Fogg’s office had been full of globes and maps covered in twinkling white lights. “They were the first magic I ever saw, and I guess something about them just stuck. Something about seeing magic everywhere, it was like the world got bigger in a way I wasn’t expecting. Like when you’re a kid and everything seems possible.” She swirled her wine in her glass, remembering all the days she’d spent in Fogg’s office, trying newer, bigger magic, sure that if she just cracked the code she could fix everything that had ever seemed wrong about the world. “And then Henry - Dean Fogg - he became my mentor. We shared a discipline. Metacomposition.” If Penny was as turned on by her rare discipline as Quentin had promised, he didn’t show it. “But it was more than that. We shared an outlook, I guess. That magic could make things better. And then when he retired a couple of years ago, he sent me one of the globes in his office. I had done my thesis on portal theory, and so he sent me a map of New York, with all the portals lit up.” She shrugged. “And that was the first one I collected. After that, it just became a thing. Hobby, I guess.”

“So you like that magic can take us places?” He seemed oddly intent, asking that.

“Sure. Like I said, I work on portals. I love the idea of getting us around the Library’s restrictions on all travel going through the Neitherlands. Open up the universe to all magicians and stick it to the bastards in grey at the same time.”

Something went across his face that made her think he didn’t share her views, but it was gone so fast she couldn’t be sure. “I just noticed on your profile, you mentioned Fillory. You’ve been there?”

She really should have taken that part down. “Ah, yeah. A long time ago.”

“Me too.” He smiled. “Weird place.”

“Definitely.”

He tilted his head, eyes careful. “And maybe not something you want to talk about.”

She laughed wryly. “Like you read my mind.” He winced. “God, I’m sorry. I don’t usually have all these minefields to avoid, I swear.”

“Don’t worry about it. What else?”

They talked about her work; he raised his eyebrows at the name McAllister. She got a little more in-depth into portal theory than she suspected anyone could want, but Penny seemed to follow along; he might claim not to have a classical education, but he was clearly versed in the terms. Eventually afraid that she was boring him with her dull, dull life, she turned the conversation back to him, and learned about his childhood in Florida, his amusing hipster life in Modesto before he split from his ex, his favorite places to hang out in New York. There were clearly as many details missing from his story as there had been from hers, and his weren’t all in the past - he didn’t say anything about a career, or how he afforded travel to and from California as often as he seemed to be out there with his daughter. Julia didn’t push for any of that. It was a first date, she figured, and besides, it’s not like she was looking at him for his professional connections.

Actually, the longer she looked at him, the more Julia became aware that she was looking for one thing in particular. It had been so long since she’d felt anything like this type of attraction that it caught her off-guard the way her eyes kept lingering on his shoulders, or the triangle of visible skin where his shirt was only half-buttoned, or the way his lips curled up when he caught her - 

She cleared her throat, setting down her glass. “I think I should go,” she said. “It’s getting late and I promised my friends I’d check in.”

“Oh, yeah?” He smiled, a slow shift of expression that made it clear he knew exactly what she’d been thinking. For a moment, she thought he would take the step, and she reminded herself firmly that two days ago she hadn’t thought any of this was a good idea. _Slow down, Julia. Make sure it’s not just the wine._ But instead he only said, “You gonna give this date a good review?”

“I will definitely put a couple of stars up next to your name on the app,” she said, standing. He got up too, waiting while she adjusted her purse and checked to make sure she still had her wallet. “I had a really great time,” she said, more seriously. “I’d like to do it again.”

He was clearly pleased, which won him a couple more points. Maybe he was confident enough not to be surprised, but he wasn’t arrogant about it. “Okay,” he said. “Then we’ll do it.”

“Okay.” She paused, shifting a little, but he covered the awkward moment, sweeping in to kiss her cheek. She got a scent of spicy cologne and felt his large hand settle on her arm and - _okay, leaving now._

“I’ll text or something,” she said, and gave a little wave as she started down the street. When she turned back for a glimpse at the corner, Penny had settled down in his chair and was playing with a little bracelet on his wrist, but there was a lingering smile on his lips that made her stomach flutter in a distinctly teenage-girl sort of way.

_Get a grip_ , she thought, but she knew she was still smiling as she turned the corner. Her friends were going to laugh their asses off and she didn’t even care.

Thinking of her friends reminded Julia of the neighborhood she was in, and she turned to cross the street. She needed something in her stomach before the wine went completely to her head, and the Stonery was just around the corner. 

***

Kady had eaten two cookies, drunk three cups of coffee, and taken four illicit pictures of random Stonery customers before Josh finally did something interesting.

Well, not Josh himself. His afternoon consisted entirely of bouncing back and forth between the register and the kitchen out back, filling orders and refreshing the shelves, occasionally taking a break to circulate through the cafe and chat up the customers. Earlier in the afternoon, he was high energy and enthusiastic; by three, he had settled into a more mellow vibe that suggested he might have been sampling his own products. Either way, he was a man who enjoyed his work, and Kady found herself vaguely jealous, though she knew running a bakery would bore her out of her mind if she had to do it for more than a week. There was nothing about the man’s workday to suggest a rogue hedgewitch dangerous enough to give the Library pause should have any interest in him. And he talked to all his customers like they were long-lost friends, so it was hard to tell which ones might be potential ties back to Reynard. 

In between spy duties, she’d checked in on Penny’s date every half hour or so. Her partner was having a much more enjoyable afternoon; Kady could tell because of the Florida accent that crept into his voice when he was drunk, or relaxed, or both. She couldn’t hear much from the woman’s side of the conversation, but she seemed to be talking a lot, so at the very least, she wasn’t bored. Once she’d assured herself that Penny was having fun and not being murdered, Kady began to feel a little uncomfortable listening in on him, so she dropped the pendant and went back to fiddling on her phone and people watching.

She should have brought a book, she decided sometime around three-thirty. Not that she could remember the last time she’d read a book. What kind of books did she even like? She used up a few minutes googling recent bestsellers and ordering a few with her Library expense account before boredom settled back in.

At four-fifteen, something finally happened.

“Something” was a woman. 

She arrived at the shop right as Kady was about to give up and text Penny to see if he was ready to end his date and give her a ride home. Kady noticed her because she tripped a little on her heels as she crossed the threshold; she caught herself, but with a little giggle that suggested maybe she, too, had been indulging that afternoon. _Everyone’s having more fun than you_ , Kady thought morosely, like that wasn’t always true. The woman got in line, bouncing a little like she was dancing as she examined the pastry rack and waited her turn to order. 

She was cute, Kady decided; she had a nice face and the kind of soft hair that probably took hours to get into that deliberately unstyled look that Kady had never bothered to learn. Very uptown, probably worked a corporate job that paid her a shitload to do something you couldn’t explain without using a paragraph of jargon. Her purse was more expensive than Kady’s whole outfit even with her ridiculous spending habits. But the woman had pretty eyes, she noticed when they met hers briefly; they crinkled up when she smiled, at no one in particular.

She got to the front of the line. Kady wasn’t close enough to hear what Josh said, but it was clear that he knew her.

Probably a regular customer, Kady thought. And it was late and she’d been about to quit anyway. But… _what the hell._ She slid out of her chair and made her way to the pastry rack, like she was contemplating another cookie.

She couldn’t get close enough to hear what Josh and the woman were saying, just enough to tell that their voices remained friendly and that the conversation went on longer than a typical customer interaction. Definitely friends. There was something about a bar, and plans for later, and at one point the woman said “don’t rub it in” in a tone that suggested she really didn’t care if he did, whatever that meant. Up close, she was even prettier than Kady had noticed from the door, and a vague plan began to form in her head. She’d always been able to keep work and pleasure separate, but she knew other Agents, her partner included, who weren’t above using a little flirting to get information.

_Kady, that is a dumbass plan_ , the version of Penny who lived at the back of her head said. Kady ignored that. 

Josh and his friend talked the whole time that Josh was putting together an extra-large coffee, and when he handed it over, Kady leaned down the counter and interrupted.

“I’ve got that,” she said.

They both turned to look at her. Kady focused her attention on the woman, smiling slowly. “My treat,” she said. In her experience, even straight girls reacted to free stuff.

This one, though, just raised her eyebrows. “What’s in it for you?” she asked.

“Call it a nice gesture,” Kady said, and put a little extra meaning into her smile. She let her eyes sweep over the woman, knowing the come on would be obvious. Maybe this woman wouldn’t be interested, but she should be flattered. And it wasn’t like Kady needed to get her into bed; she just needed a name. She fished her credit card out of her pocket and handed it to Josh. “You can thank me by putting a phone number on the receipt,” she said.

“Uh-huh.” The woman looked a lot less tipsy now. She picked up her drink and took a sip, studying Kady with a narrowed, slightly amused gaze. Kady thought she saw just a hint of interest there before the woman turned to Josh. “Take the card,” she said. “I’ll handle the number.” Kady suppressed a flicker of triumph.

Josh had been watching them with rounded eyes, his head swiveling back and forth. “Oooh-kay,” he said. “I’ll just stay out of this.” He swiped the card and the three of them waited, Kady still smiling at the woman and her staring back inscrutably, sipping at her drink.

“One extra-large with soy and three expresso shots, and four cranberry sugar cookies,” Josh said, making Kady’s eyebrows shoot up. He handed Kady her card back, and hesitated with the receipt in hand, hovering between the two of them. “Do I give this to - oh, alright.”

The woman grabbed the receipt, and leaned over the counter for a pen. Her long hair fell forward as she bent to scribble something down, and Kady caught the scent of floral shampoo and perfume. When she was done writing, she picked up the paper and pressed a kiss to it, leaving it marked with subtle rose lipstick. “Here you go,” she said, and slid the receipt down to Kady, pinning it to the counter so that when Kady reached for it, their fingers brushed. The other woman’s eyes were dark as they looked up at her. “Give me a call,” she murmured, then abruptly changed tones, flashing Josh a more genuine smile. “Thanks for the coffee,” she said, and spun around in a swirl of that flowery scent, walking out while they both watched.

Kady was grinning as she picked up the receipt. The number was a local one. No name, but it was hard to misinterpret the lipstick.

“Wow,” Josh said. “I’ve never seen her flirt like that, and I knew her when she was putting back a bottle of prosecco a night at Brakebills. She must have had a really good day.”

_Brakebills. There’s the connection._ “Or maybe she just met someone worth flirting with,” Kady said, and gave him a look when he appeared skeptical. “Oh, come on, Hoberman. Everyone’s got a type. Maybe I’m hers.”

Josh shrugged. “Julia hasn’t dated for a while. I guess she’s breaking out of her shell.”

_Julia_. Kady was practically laughing as she pulled out her phone and added the number to her contacts, then brought up a new text message. _So when do I get to see you?_ she typed.

The little dots that indicated Julia was responding came and went a few times before an answering message popped up. _Sorry, not interested. But thanks for the treats._

There was a tiny flash of disappointment - and embarrassment, when she realized Josh had read the message over her shoulder - completely dwarfed by the much bigger shock when her phone screen began flickering, fine gold sigils tracing their way across the screen. “What the hell?” she hissed, almost dropping the phone as it heated up in her hand. She tossed it down on the counter and she and Josh both stared as the sigils ran their course, clearly a spell, and then vanished. When the phone was back to normal, she picked it up and - “No fucking way!”

She flipped through her contacts, and sure enough, Julia’s information was gone. So was the text exchange. She checked deleted texts; nothing.

Her eyes flickered to the receipt still laying on the counter in time to see it burst into flames and disintegrate in seconds, not even leaving a trace of ash.

“I -wha - was that a _spell_?” Kady stared from the phone to Josh, who looked impressed but not particularly surprised. “Did she send a spell over the fucking phone? How do you even do that?” It should theoretically be possible, Harriet had done a lot of experimenting on mixing tech and magic, but no one that Kady had ever heard of had used a cellphone to actually cast.

Josh shook his head. “If anyone could do that, it’s Julia Wicker,” he said. “She was the top of her class in school. Top of all the classes.” He laughed. “Guess you weren’t her type after all.”

Kady stared at the door, the bruise on her ego soothed by the thought of the Brakebills genius casually throwing out a technology spell to reject a pick-up line. _What kind of skill does she have when it’s something that actually matters?_ she thought. 

The kind that might interest a major player like Reynard?

“Wicker, huh?” Kady asked, and Josh’s smile dropped.

“Shit,” he said. “Don’t… don’t track her down, okay? And especially don’t tell her that I gave you her name, because she will literally kill me, or turn me into something that will make me wish I was dead, but… look, it’s just a rejection, yeah? We’ve all been there. It’s not worth Library attention. Julia’s had enough trouble in her life.”

_Oh, I bet she has._ Josh’s concern was genuine enough to be touching, except that Kady was sure that after an afternoon that had felt like a total waste, she’d found the connection she was looking for.

“Don’t worry,” she said, absently patting his arm. “I don’t want to cause her any trouble.”


	7. Chapter 7

Alice’s office was down a warren of narrow hallways behind the operations center, and could have been mistaken for a closet if it didn’t have a placard with her name. Kady knocked once, then pushed back the door, wincing as it hit the opposite wall. Between the oversized desk and chair set, a bookcase, and the small oak liquor cabinet that seemed to come standard with the title of Librarian, there was barely room for her. 

She couldn’t see Alice at first. Eventually, she spotted her kneeling in front of the bookcase over a stack of boxes and sorting their contents. Alice glanced up, shaking her hair out of her eyes as she said, “I’m sorry for the mess, I’ve just moved in and there’s no time to - “ She paused. “Oh! Kady.” She stood up, smoothing her skirt. “I didn’t ex - um. Hello.”

“Hey, Alice.” Kady finally got the door closed and leaned back against it, smiling. “I thought I’d come by and see the new digs.”

“Really?” Most people would have let the little white social lie go, but Alice tilted her head. “I didn’t think you liked Librarians enough to visit our offices.”

That ‘our’ stung. Kady could remember some long conversations with Alice, back when she drank and Alice could be tempted into taking a single glass of whiskey and getting sloppy, where they’d both aired their grievances against the Library. Even more than Penny, Alice had been the person who most seemed to get where Kady was coming from. Both of them had ended up trapped in their contracts because they’d wanted to help their families. Of course, Kady’s help hadn’t involved necromancy, but she’d sympathized with Alice’s situation with her brother, and could remember ranting on for hours about the Library’s policy of punishing magicians rather than teaching them, its practice of disappearing people who disagreed, the terrible fashion sense of the Librarians… Now she wondered how many of her old complaints Alice remembered, and who she’d told.

Alice, she thought, disgruntled, actually looked good in a typical Librarian’s grey. That was offensive all by itself.

“I made an exception,” she said. “For you.” She smiled, but it didn’t feel natural so she let the expression drop. “Look, I need a favor.”

“Okay.” Even though she obviously held all the power here, Alice looked nervous - _or maybe hopeful?_ _No, nervous,_ Kady decided, even though she couldn’t think of a reason why. “What is it?”

“Information out of one of the books. Just an address would be fine.” Kady pulled a piece of paper out of her pocket and handed it over. “Hers.”

“Julia Wicker.” Alice read the name and frowned. “That sounds familiar. Who is she?”

“New York magician.” Kady kept her tone disinterested, like this was just another case, tracking down a magician who’d borrowed a book and forgot to return it or had cast a spell that broke one of the Library’s minor laws. “I need to pay her a visit but I don’t know where she is.”

That wasn’t an unusual situation; the Library had systems in place to monitor major crimes like siphons on the magical pipelines or spells that would breach dimensions, but misdemeanors usually came to their attention because someone reported seeing something, and they didn’t always know the addresses of the people they were accusing. Most of those inquiries came to nothing, just hedges trying to get each other in trouble, but Agents were still sent to track down every report and investigate. You never knew when a spell that felt a little “off” could actually signal a major breach about to happen.

Personally, Kady had always thought the Library just liked to keep their Agents out there, harassing people with minor gifts and making sure they knew who was in charge. She and Penny had always gone easy on the hedges they were sent to question, and Kady usually slipped them Harriet’s phone number before she left. 

Alice didn’t question the request,just went to her shelf and pulled out a book. “I haven’t had a chance to do this yet,” she admitted, a little, eager smile on her lips. “They just delivered the machine this morning.”

The machine was a contraption taking up half her desk. It consisted of a flat platform with clamps on either side, a wire frame with a long, pointed rod at the end, and a device that resembled a mid-twentieth century type-writer. Alice opened the book, an ordinary leather-bound journal, and clamped it into the machine, lowering the writing rod to rest just over the page. With another glance at the slip Kady had handed her, and a little frown, she typed the name. The frame jerked, like it really was a rusty old piece of machinery coming to life, and the pen began to write.

The Library of the Neitherlands had access to the stories of every person on every world in the multiverse, and while collecting information was no longer as important to them as controlling magic, they still took the responsibility seriously. Reading a living person’s book without a reason was frowned on, so instead, they used the extraction machines. Type in a person’s name and with a few tuts you could pull out the information you needed from their book without getting access to the rest. Supposedly it prevented younger Librarians from the temptation of browsing people’s books for the juicy parts; Kady guessed a lot of them extracted _only_ the juicy parts, and she could only hope they hadn’t touched hers.

Kady held her breath as Alice ran the poppers and the machine began to write. She’d already tried to look Julia up in the Index and hadn’t found her, a good sign that she was one of the blacked-out names connected to Reynard. Alice was a very new Librarian, but she’d been Zelda’s pet for years and the rumor was her security clearance was unusually high for her position, so maybe…

The machine gave a shudder, jerking and sputtering like it was overloading. The pen scribbled wildly across the page, obscuring anything written there. A low, squealing thrum began to echo around the room, a noise like fingernails on a chalkboard. Alice yelped and covered her ears as the machine began to throw golden sparks everywhere and Kady crossed the room in seconds, grabbing the other woman’s arm and pulling her away as the machine threatened to explode.

After a few seconds, it shuddered and went still, the sparks dying out. Alice slowly lowered her hands from her ears, shivering beneath Kady’s grip. Kady quickly let the other woman go, letting out a breath of her own. 

“What the fuck was that?” she asked.

“I think we aren’t supposed to look at that book,” Alice said. Her tone was wry, though her voice was still a little shaky. She crept over to the machine. “Why did you need this information again?”

“For a case.” Alice turned, raising an eyebrow, and Kady put on a disarming smile. “Okay, not an official case. I was at a coffee shop the other day and I thought I spotted something strange.”

Alice laughed. “Is this a business request, or more… pleasure?”

Kady let her grin broaden. “Little of both?”

“Kady. You know I can’t help you track down a girl because you thought she was cute.” Alice sounded more amused than annoyed, though a troubled frown crossed her face as she glanced at the machine again. “Especially one whose book has been restricted.”

“Restricted?” Kady took a little pride in how convincingly she played dumb. “That’s weird. Isn’t that just for people who are dangerous? Maybe it’s a good thing if I look into this woman.”

“Weren’t you taken off your latest case? Penny mentioned something.”

It felt like a non sequitur, but Kady’s instincts pinged. Alice knew that Kady and Penny had been assigned to the Reynard case, everyone in the Library knew that. It had been the most prominent case running. 

She took a chance. “Yeah, we’re getting reassigned. Why? You don’t think this woman I met has a link to Reynard, do you?” She laughed. “She seemed like just a cool girl.”

Alice shook her head, brushing away whatever thoughtful mood she’d fallen into. “I’m sure it’s nothing.”

“But you recognized her name.”

“Right. Um…” The problem with Alice was that it was hard to see when she was lying because what would be tells in other people were indistinguishable from her usual awkward manner. “I remembered, actually. Julia Wicker. She’s kind of famous. Wrote her Brakebills thesis on portals and now they’re using her theories for all kinds of new magic. I read her work when I was on the McAllister deal last year. She’s one of their top spellwriters.”

“Oh. Well.” Kady’s mind was spinning but she made herself shrug. “A nerd, then? Not really my type.”

“Probably not,” Alice agreed, her mouth twisting. “But you know, branching out never hurt anyone. Sometimes what you want isn’t what you thought.” 

Kady found herself remembering Penny moping on her couch the other night, because Alice had gone on a date. “Like you?” she said. “I heard you’re seeing someone.”

Alice’s pale skin flushed. “No, it’s not… I just have a friend.” For all that she was frequently awkward, Alice had never been shy that Kady could remember, but that was the word that came to mind looking at her now. “It’s been nice, getting to know someone, but it’s early and I’m not sure it’s… I guess we all have to figure out what we really want from relationships, you know?” 

“Sure. Well, thanks for the help.” Kady started for the door, pausing with her hand on the knob. “This new person? Do they know you’re a Librarian?”

There was just enough of a pause before Alice said, “She knows.”

The _she_ was interesting and at an earlier point in their friendship Kady would absolutely never have let that go. Now she just nodded. “Good. At least she knows who you really are from the beginning. That should improve your track record.” She let the door swing shut on Alice’s conflicted expression.

Penny would be upset that she’d left things with Alice on an awkward note, but it wasn’t really about him. Alice had betrayed her too when she’d signed on to support the organization that had stolen ten years from all of their lives, and Kady didn’t know how to get past that, or even why she should want to.

At least she’d gained something from her visit to Alice’s office, though. The McAllister Corporation offices weren’t too far from her apartment. Her blood humming with the thrill of the chase, Kady headed for the fountain back to Earth.

***

On Monday, Julia again arrived at work to find the office buzzing about her. 

“Way to go, Wicker!” Kevin Doggett, a blonde junior telekinetic who Margo had reluctantly accepted onto the Fillory team because he’d done his senior thesis on talking animals, raised a hand for a high-five as he passed her. Julia gave him a confused look and he lowered it awkwardly. “I think it’s really cool that you’re into women, and she’s a nice one,” he said. “A looker.”

“Uh…?” 

He winked. “Got it. I won’t say a word.” He mimed sealing his lips as he backed off down the hall.

_What the fuck?_

Next, it was Gemma, Edwin’s beleaguered assistant, who waved at Julia as she passed the coffee nook. “Congratulations,” the motherly older woman said. “I don’t want to make a big thing, but I am glad for you. I’ve always felt you deserved happiness.”

“…Thank you?” Julia said, and the woman beamed at her as she left with Edwin’s mug in hand.

“This place gets weirder every day,” Julia announced to Shoshanna as she entered her office, then froze. Her assistant was on her feet, quivering with an emotion somewhere between excitement and indignation. Margo was also there, lounging in a corner with her arms folded and smirk in place. And across from her was….

Julia barely stopped herself from groaning out loud. It was the damned woman from the Stonery, perched on the corner of Shoshanna’s desk and smiling like she was having a great time. She was sipping a cup of coffee from Julia’s favorite Brakebills mug.

Shoshanna crept her way over to Julia, though she kept her eyes firmly locked on the interloper the whole time. “You have a visitor,” she said, in a low voice. “I wanted to tell her that she had no business being here, but she told the reception desk she was a friend of yours. A _special_ friend. That’s why I haven’t called security. Or taken that mug away.” 

“She’s an acquaintance,” Julia said dryly. “A very recent one. Margo, why are you here?” 

“Curiosity,” Margo said. “I came by to see about your date, but it looks like you picked up something more interesting. She’s been telling everyone the two of you had a coffee date this weekend.” 

“I paid,” the woman said, which somehow sounded very suggestive.

“She got through security by flashing a Library card,” Margo added in a more dangerous tone _._

Julia turned to the woman, who looked like she had in the coffee shop, casually dressed, her hair a mess of curls, her full, red-painted mouth curled up at one corner. “You’re a Librarian?” she asked, her stomach sinking.

“Hell, no,” the woman said. “I just work for them. Collections, you know? Overdue books, unpaid fees. Is that going to be a problem?”

“Certainly not the biggest one. Why are you here?”

“Thought we could finish our conversation from the other day.” She waved her phone. “I wanted to talk about that message you sent me.”

Her eyes danced like Julia had been sending her nudes or something. Shoshanna made a shocked little noise and Margo raised her eyebrows, impressed. Which would be bad enough, but of course Julia hadn’t done something as ordinarily foolish as sexting a stranger. Instead, she’d sent a very complex, untested, and potentially dangerous spell, on a whim, to someone who worked for the damn Library.

“Fine, let’s talk.” Julia gestured towards the open door to her private office. “Shoshanna, I need a half-hour with, um - “

“Kady,” the woman supplied. “And half an hour seems a little… quick, wouldn’t you say?” She looked delighted with her own pun, and _oh god_ , Shoshanna and Margo thought she was here for a hook-up. The whole office probably did.

Margo flashed a shark’s grin. “You should give this one a shot, Jules.” She paced slowly towards the door, pausing to give Kady a long look. “I’m always glad to meet a friend of Julia’s. Did you say you guys met at the Stonery? Julia, Josh mentioned something about - “

“‘Kay, bye Margo,” Julia said pointedly, and headed into her office. “Shoshanna, remember, no interruptions.”

“Of course,” Shoshanna said, wide-eyed. From the office nun to afternoon delights - no, morning, it wasn’t even ten - Julia’s professional reputation was never going to live this down. 

She shut that door firmly as soon as Kady was in the office. “You have five minutes to explain what the hell you’re doing here,” she said.

Kady circled the room with unconcealed curiosity, running her fingers over the knick-knacks on Julia’s shelves and studying the diplomas on her wall. “After a message like that, how could I stay away?” she asked. She paused by the New York map. “Did you make this yourself?”

“None of your business,” Julia said and stepped around the other woman to block her view, folding her arms and glaring up at her. Kady was annoyingly tall, but Julia was used to that problem.

She was also annoyingly pretty, but that wasn’t relevant to the current situation.

“I thought my message should have made it obvious that I’m not interested,” she said.

Kady waved her hands like she was weighing something. “It was a rejection,” she admitted, “but it also made you so much more intriguing.”

“And what, you don’t know how to take no for an answer? Real attractive.”

A look went across Kady’s face, discomfort or even guilt, and for a minute Julia thought she’d back down. Instead, she said, “Look, I work for the Library, so I’ve seen some stuff. And more personal attractions aside,” she gave Julia a very obvious leer and Julia prayed to the goddess she no longer believed in that she didn’t blush in response, “that spell you used was impressive. I’m curious about where magic like that comes from. And how come I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“It’s just a stupid little spell I figured out back in school. I used to play around with mixing technology and magic. No big deal.”

“I dunno,” Kady said. “That kind of magic is always a big deal.” A more serious look darkened her eyes, driving away the smirking and posturing. “It’s the kind of magic that can get you in trouble with dangerous people.”

“Clearly, I haven’t fallen in with the wrong crowd.” Julia gestured around at her corner office with its view of the Manhattan skyline. She felt gross, like she was rubbing her advantages in this woman’s face, but it was worth it for her disgruntled reaction.

“That’s debatable,” she said. “Look, it’s not really any of my business. Like I said, I just work for the Library to make ends meet. It’s not like I can arrest you for anything.”

“That’s why you flashed your Library card at security?”

“Otherwise they were going to call up to your office, and I hate having to wait.” It was ridiculous how cute that half-grin of hers was, considering Julia very sincerely wanted to punch her.

“Like I would have let you in.”

“You would have. Eventually.” Kady sat back on the edge of Julia’s desk and crossed her legs, casual and comfortable like she was ready to move in for the whole day. Julia found herself wishing she’d sat down at her desk and had the advantage of position, instead of being trapped in the corner on defense. She eyed the door, wondering how close it was getting to her next appointment. Shoshanna had promised to give her privacy, but Irene had mentioned something about “dropping by” and Julia was not prepared to have her boss walk in on her and Kady. 

“What do you want?” she asked, deciding she might as well cut through the bullshit. 

“I want a date.”

“Seriously?”

“One night only, unless you want more.” Kady’s smile said she thought Julia would. “Let me take you out and show you a good time away from….” She made a face at Julia’s office, “all this polish. And if you don’t enjoy yourself, fine. No harm.”

“Why should I do this?” _Besides to get you out of here quicker,_ she thought, hating that she was even considering it. Why _was_ she considering it?

“Like I said, that spell. It’s impressive. I know some people who would be very interested in a spell like that, and we’ve all got bills to pay.”

“You’re _blackmailing_ me?” Her laugh sounded disdainful to her own ears. “And that’s supposed to make you a catch?” Again there was that look, like Kady wasn’t so sure of her own course of action, but Julia barreled on, eyeing the clock on her wall moving closer and closer to ten. “You know what, fine. One date. Saturday night. And then I don’t want to see you again and I sure as hell don’t want you coming anywhere near my office.”

“Deal.” Kady stood up, that little swagger back in her body language. 

“Now _please_ leave.”

“I’m going.” Kady started back towards the door, but before Julia could get there and open it for her, it swung open and there was Irene McAllister.

“Julia, is this still a good time?” she asked, like Shoshanna wasn’t frantically wringing her hands in the background. Irene’s eyes slid right to Kady. “I have the new requests from Director Rowe and - oh, I didn’t realize you had a guest.” She reached out to shake Kady’s hand, the epitome of professionalism like always. Julia hoped she didn’t look as flustered as she felt. “Irene McAllister, Julia’s boss. Nice to meet you.”

“Kady. Julia’s date for next weekend.” She had the nerve to toss a goddamn wink over her shoulder. “I’ll see myself out. Text me later? I think I might have lost your number. You know how phones have those bugs. Much less reliable than magic.”

“So true,” Irene said, and proceeded to escort the woman out while Julia stood there, frozen with amazement at how out-of-control the entire morning had been. Irene looked almost giddy when she returned.

“She seems lovely,” she said. “A little on the brash side, but maybe that’s your type. Margo mentioned that you were seeing someone but I had no idea it had progressed to office visits. Don’t worry, we’ve all done it.” She flashed a conspiratorial smile, like she and Julia were now going to gossip about Julia’s sex life, _fuck how had this happened?_ “It’s good to see you getting out more,” Irene went on, while Julia continued to berate herself. “I always appreciate your attention to work, but we all need some balance in our lives, don’t we? I hope you’re having fun.”

“Yeah, fun,” Julia muttered, beginning to make a list in her head. First, she would kill Kady, then Margo for gossiping with her boss, Josh for gossiping with Margo, Eliot and of course Q for this whole mess…. “That is definitely what I’m having.”

***

When the Library had reinvented itself from a repository of information to an interdimensional magical law enforcement agency, the Librarians had moved most of the books they thought would be relevant to their new work, everything from the histories of different planets to the biology of magical creatures, from the Stacks to a facility on the outermost of the planetary system’s rings called the Garden. The walls of the buildings there were made of an invisible material so thin it was more like a forcefield. The only way to tell when you were inside was by the trees: a mix of species from a thousand planets, a riot of colors and scents, they circled the buildings and ran along the hallways, marking off the rooms that held each collection of subject matter. Walking around the place was exactly like walking through a garden, except that the invisible walls protected you - and, much more importantly to the Librarians - the books, from the elements.

Penny flipped the coin in his hand. It was spelled to lead him to the book he was seeking; the bored junior Librarian at the front “desk” - it was the limb of a very large oak tree - had done the tuts to activate it without showing any interest in why Penny might care about Portal Theory. The coin had pulsed in his hand as he wandered through the Garden, growing warmer as he neared the book he was seeking, and now, as he faced an arch of intertwined sea-blue branches from some underwater planet, it was almost too hot to hold. Beyond that arch, on one of the shelves, sat a bound copy of Julia Wicker’s Brakebills thesis.

He stepped beneath the arch - and then almost yelled out loud when a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

“Shh,” a familiar voice hissed, shaking with laughter. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you to be quiet in a library?”

“Kady?” Penny twisted around to glare at his partner, who was practically doubled over with laughter. “What are you doing here?” He lowered his voice. “Besides scaring the shit out of me?” He waited, but she kept on laughing, her hand over her mouth to muffle the sound. “You can stop now.”

“Sorry, sorry….” Kady wiped her eyes and got herself under control. “It’s just, your face… I’m sorry.” She took a deep breath. “Anyway, I could ask you the same question. What are you doing in the Garden?” She scanned the room, which was full of thick volumes on shelves made to blend with the trees, all looking deeply uninteresting. “Felt like a little light reading?”

“It’s research,” he said automatically, then winced to himself. That might work on a random Librarian who tried to question him; it wasn’t going to work on Kady.

“Research? For what, a case?” She tilted her head. “I didn’t hear about a new assignment.”

“Which is weird, right? How long do you think Zelda’s going to keep us cleaning up old files before we get a real job again?” Okay, it had only been two days, but two days stuck in the dull, echoey, Traveler-warded Library was like a month somewhere else.

He began wandering aimlessly through the shelves, scanning the books for names. The Ws were down at the other end of the room. Maybe he could just casually grab the book while Kady was distracted - 

“Nice try changing the subject,” she said. At least she kept her voice down. “What are you really doing here?”

There had been no point trying to hide this from Kady, and he wondered why he’d even bothered, except that talking to Kady about Julia felt weird. “That girl I met the other day? She wrote a book that’s in here.”

“And you can’t look at her biography, because that’s both forbidden and creepy, so her boring academic text is the next best thing. Trying to impress her? If she’s nerdy enough to have a book published in this place - “ She brushed one of the more boring-looking tomes with a finger and scrunched up her nose, “I think I’d take a pass.”

“It’s not like that. She’s cool. Funny. Smart, yeah, but in a classy way, not a stuffy way.”

“Hot,” Kady supplied.

“Nothing wrong with that.”

“No, there isn’t.” Kady looked amused. “Well, hey, good for you. Impress her. Get laid. Maybe you won’t be jumping a foot in the air every time someone taps your shoulder if you relax a little.”

“You aren’t as funny as you think you are. And it’s not like that.” She gave him a look, and he had to laugh. “Okay, yeah, it’s definitely like _that_. But I’m not trying to impress her. I’m trying to find out about her.” Penny hesitated, but who better to understand the problem than Kady? And he trusted her. “She said something on our date about the Library. Kind of implied she wasn’t a big fan.”

“Points for her.”

“Yeah, and if it’s just her opinion, that’s fine. But I was wondering if it’s more.” Kady gave him a blank look. “Like maybe she’s one of those people who does more than grumble about them behind closed doors.”

There were people who didn’t like how the Library operated; most were hedges, like Harriet, but some were classically trained and powerful. It wouldn’t surprise him to learn that one of them was on the inside of the McAllister’s Fillory project; Julia wasn’t wrong that the whole project undermined the Library’s control, even if it was supposedly a joint venture. Penny sympathized with their attitudes, though probably not like Kady did. 

“If she’s got a real problem with the Library,” he said, dropping his voice even further, though they were still the only people in this corner of the Garden, “I thought maybe her book would be flagged or something.”

“Like a ‘troublemaker’ stamp?” Kady looked amused.

“Something like that.”

“So you want to find out if she’s on their radar so you can… Oh my god. One date and you’re already setting yourself up to protect her.” She burst out laughing and he shushed her again. “That’s just… that’s you. That’s perfect.”

“I just don’t want her to get in trouble, and if she has been flagged and doesn’t know it...”

“Of course.” Kady shook her head with a fond expression. “Okay. Want some help finding your girlfriend’s book so you can white knight your way into her good graces?”

“I know where the book is,” he said, and turned in that direction. She continued to follow him. “So what’s your excuse for being down here?”

“A case.” He gave her a look and she grinned, unrepentant. “Okay, I also met someone.”

“Hah. Let me guess, if you can recite each stage of Lehoux’s Displacement Matrix, she’ll let you into her pants.” The “she” was a guess, but a solid one. Kady swung both ways, but her trysts were more likely to be women.

“ _No_ ,” Kady said. “She really is for a case. I think I’ve found someone who might have a connection to Reynard.” She paused. “I asked her out.”

“Kady!” He shook his head. “You can’t investigate someone you’re dating. Especially not someone connected to that dick.”

“Relax. It’s a long shot. She probably doesn’t know anything about him, or the connection is that they shared a cab one time. I’m just following up on a lead.”

He turned the corner onto the row with the Ws. “An attractive lead.”

“Obviously.”

“Try to keep your head on straight while you’re - “

“Don’t say it.”

_Wicker, Julia_. There it was, less a book and more a bound pamphlet with a very basic cover. Penny paused, noticing a second, more professional book, co-authored by _Waugh, Eliot._ Julia had said something about her work being used by a classmate to develop some additional theories. He hesitated over that one, then decided to grab them both, but when he reached for Julia’s solo effort, Kady’s hand was in the way.

“What are you doing?”

She looked confused. “I’m picking up a book.”

“Yeah, _my_ book. Go get your own.” He tugged at the book in her hand.

Kady tugged back. “But this is…” Her eyes widened. “Wait… what’s your girlfriend’s name?”

They both looked down at the book and Julia’s name stamped across the front.

“Shit,” Kady said, with feeling.

***

“Penny,” Kady said, for what felt like the hundredth time. “She’s connected to Reynard. You can’t date her.”

“Kady,” Penny said, with condescending, infuriating patience, “You have no proof.”

“I have - “ Kady whirled around and paced a few steps away, hands on her hips. Penny was sitting on a bench, or possibly a giant mushroom, they’d found in a tiny alcove outside the Garden, looking like he was settling in for a relaxing afternoon of reading. “Okay, no, I don’t have proof. But even the chance - it’s too dangerous.”

“How is it more dangerous for me to date her than for you?”

“Because I’m not _dating_ her,” Kady said. “I’m investigating her under the guise of a night out. It’s not the same thing. I won’t get distracted by her pretty smile.”

“You think her smile is pretty?”

“No! You do!” Kady let out a breath and raked a hand back through her hair. The Garden might have an artificially-controlled environment, but the planet felt like a greenhouse. She was sweating beneath her regulation-grey suit. 

“The fact that she suddenly showed up as a match on your dating app after I killed Reynard’s son sure adds to the circumstantial evidence. If Reynard sent her -,” she began again, in a more patient tone.

“Whoa!” That got the first real reaction out of Penny since she’d admitted to hitting on Julia in the Stonery ten minutes after she’d left him on their date. He jumped to his feet. “Where are you getting accomplice? Maybe she’s connected to him as a victim.”

“A victim of what?” Kady asked skeptically. “She’s a rich corporate magician. The worst she’s ever been a victim of is someone scratching her Lamborghini.”

“You don’t know that,” Penny said. “We both know that Reynard screwed over a lot of powerful people. He murdered Delacorte, and he was the Top Hedge on the East Coast. What’s some McAllister lackey compared to that?”

From the corner office she’d seen, Kady guessed Julia was more than a lackey to Irene McAllister, but that wasn’t the point. “You’re completely in her corner, aren’t you? Because, what, she smiled at you a lot the other night? She laughed at your jokes? She’s a tiny, delicate looking thing who just needs a big man to come save her? Newsflash, Penny, from a woman: pretty girls aren’t any less likely to be dangerous or screw you over. Stop thinking with your dick.”

“Wow.” She could tell by the muscle twitching in his jaw that she’d actually pissed him off, not just brought on the asshole exterior he used to look intimidating in the field. And she felt a little bad about it, but this was so stupid. He couldn’t keep dating this girl if she was connected to Reynard; he needed to get out of the way so she could handle the situation. “You really think you have me figured out?”

Kady sighed. “You think if you like someone, that means they’re a good person. And you’re loyal. But you don’t know this girl.”

“Neither do you.” He raised a hand. “All I’m saying is, if she is connected to Reynard, we can’t jump to assuming that’s her fault. But…” He turned away, shaking his head like he was arguing with himself. “But saying you’re right, what’s your plan?”

“Stay on her. Watch for anything suspicious.”

“By dating her.”

She shrugged, wishing she didn’t feel like her cheeks were red. “If that’s what works.”

“Okay. Fine. I’ll date her, and I’ll do the background checks or whatever you want. If I find something, I’ll let you know.”

She laughed roughly. “You really think you can be objective?”

“I have a better chance of getting somewhere with her. You, what, accosted her in a bakery and then blackmailed her into a date? She’s gonna walk out on you an hour in and never call you back.”

“As opposed to the deep soul connection the two of you have after a couple of drinks and lying about your entire background? You’re a great guy, Penny, but you haven’t been real with anyone since the day you signed the Library’s contract and she’s going to see through that.” 

There was the twitch again, and the flash of hurt in his eyes. “Real nice.”

Kady shrugged. “I’m sorry, but it’s true.” 

“And you’ll actually stick around for more than a couple of nights with her? Do you even know how to do that, Kady?”

“At least I won’t fall for everything she says.”

He made a low growling noise and turned away, rubbing his hands over his hair. When he turned back he was only a little calmer. “So what do we do?”

A crazy idea ran through Kady’s head. She looked up and saw recognition in his eyes. Even when he was pissed at her, they were on the same wavelength. 

They settled down on opposite ends of the mushroom bench, a gap between them that felt a mile wide. Kady tried to focus. “How would this work?”

“I’m not going to talk about her with you,” Penny said immediately. “I mean, not _her_ her. Not personal stuff. But I’ll give you information relevant to the case. And you need to share what you find out, but only case stuff. I don’t want to hear… anything else.”

“Agreed,” Kady said, ignoring the little twinge she felt at having a part of her life that wasn’t completely open to Penny.. It probably wouldn’t bother him, she thought, because Penny never shared shit with her. She hadn’t known his relationship with Alice was breaking up until he’d shown up at her door one night with a bag on his shoulder. “And we don’t interfere with each other’s relation - um, investigations. No telling her she shouldn’t trust the other.”

“We don’t talk about each other at all,” he corrected. “No mention of knowing each other.” He paused. “Well, I actually already mentioned you. But I don’t think I used your name, so… I dunno, I’ll have to make up a fake friend with a different name. Too bad yours is so unique.”

“Really, _Penny_?” She glanced away, smiling. “What about the rest? I already told her I worked for the Library, but I made it sound like I was a courier or something.”

“I didn’t tell her anything about it.” Penny looked thoughtful for a moment, then surprised her by saying, “And I’m not going to. We don’t want to tip her off. Not until we know what her deal is.”

“You’re actually considering that she might be guilty?”

He glared. “I’m considering that she got caught up in some bad shit and is trying to make the best of it. Something you should understand.”

“Whatever. What about when we do find out the truth?”

“If she’s innocent, we tell her everything.”

Kady nodded, not bothering to get into what would happen if she was guilty. They’d both seen that play out enough times over the last ten years. She glanced up at the sky and the distant light of the fourth ring, where the Library’s prison cells lay. “And then what?”

“Then… oh. You mean, what do we do about… ?”

“It might get awkward taking turns bringing her to family dinner with Hannah.” The joke fell flat.

His eyes narrowed as he studied her face like he was trying to figure something out. “Why would she want to be with either of us after all that?”

“She probably won’t,” Kady admitted.

“What if it turns out she isn’t connected to Reynard at all?”

“Then she gets to choose what she wants to do.” Kady really doubted there would be any choice there, but she wasn’t about to admit that.

“Okay,” he agreed, though he didn’t look happy about it. Kady felt bad; he was clearly being an idiot over this woman, but he’d seemed happy the other night after the date. “So that’s our deal.”

“I guess so.” They sat there awkwardly for a minute. Kady wondered if she should make a joke about shaking on it.

Then he said, “One more thing. No sex.”

“Wait, what - “ He gave her a look and she sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. That would be wrong. Dammit.”

She thought she caught a faint twitch of a smile. “I’m sorry, does that ruin your gameplan?”

“Maybe,” she admitted. He was definitely smiling. “Like it doesn’t ruin yours!”

“Hey, my smolder works in all kinds of ways. I don’t need to get her into bed to keep her coming back.” 

She shook her head, ridiculously relieved that he was joking. “Your smolder is way overrated.”

“Come on.” He stood up and held out a hand. “Give you a ride back?”

“Sure.” She put her hand on his, staring at them together. “Is this the dumbest thing we’ve ever done for a case?”

“Hmm, probably.” He smiled again, and she could tell that even if he was still pissed at her, it didn’t matter. “But we haven’t screwed one up yet.”

***

“It’s an odd thing, to have a child. A piece of yourself that lives independently of you. A mirror to cast the perfect reflection. A sliver of your will - but no, that isn’t it, is it? Do you have children, Mr. Stoppard?”

“No.” Daniel was lucky he’d even heard the question. He’d been doing his best to shut out the ramblings of the man with the creepy yellow eyes - Reynard, he called himself, though Daniel had not dared to address him that way - for the last hour. Just get the machine done, give him the information he wanted, and then he’d go away and Daniel could get back to his life as the world’s most reclusive and boring timewitch.

“Hmm, it’s an interesting experience. I didn’t know I had a son until recently, you see. His mother… well, she sent me away. And I was gone for a very, very long time. And then a young woman brought me back. I was grateful to her for that. Though I don’t think she felt the same way.” He laughed, stroking the palm of his right hand with slightly too-long fingers. “But when I came back, my son had grown into a man who didn’t know me very well. I thought we’d have time to come to an understanding. He made a different choice. As children do.” Daniel didn’t look up, frantically adjusting the last of his instruments, but he could feel those eyes boring into him. “I suppose someday you’ll have children of your own and you’ll understand. Assuming you live that long, of course.”

“It’s, uh, it’s done.” Daniel swallowed around the sandpaper in his throat and made himself turn to face the man who, twelve hours earlier, had appeared in his workshop and demanded his services. There hadn’t been a specific threat, but one look at those eyes and Daniel had known he didn’t have a choice. “Did you want to check?”

He didn’t want Reynard to check the machine. He didn’t want him anywhere nearby. But Daniel had to be the one to operate the viewing device, so he held very still and tried not to react when the man brushed right up against him to peer into the mirrors attached to the device.

The spell itself was a simple one, and it worked perfectly. A few tuts and the machine began to whir, images flashing through the mirrors, backwards through time. Daniel had modified the spell to stop at the precise time and place Reynard had given him, and then the images began to play forward, slower now.

Daniel didn’t really understand what was going on in the scenario they were viewing. There was a rooftop, with the New York skyline behind it. A lot of shouting and running and battle magic firing, most of it from a woman in an incongruous sparkly dress and heels. A man appeared, dark-skinned and in a grey suit, and he wrestled with Reynard over a case. He had a bold grin that suggested he was having a good time; Daniel thought personally that he must be insane, to be anywhere near Reynard and not be screaming.

There were other scenes, other glimpses of the same man on the street below. And then the scene ended.

They stood silently in the workshop, Reynard contemplating the now blank mirror, Daniel trying to not to breathe too loudly. Finally, unable to handle the quiet a moment longer, he said, “Did you get what you needed?”

He was terrified that the answer was no. No might mean Reynard stayed, with more work for Daniel to do.

Reynard tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Let’s see it again.” Daniel obediently reversed the spell, and the same scenario played out. This time, Reynard raised a hand when the man in the grey suit appeared. “Stop.” He leaned in closer to the mirror. “Do you see that pin he’s wearing?”

Daniel squinted at the mirror. Sure enough, the man had a silver pin on the lapel of his suit jacket. “A book?” he guessed.

“Yes. The symbol of the Order of the Neitherlands. Continue.” It took a moment and an impatient gesture for Daniel to realize that last had been addressed to him, and he scrambled to set the images moving again. This time Reynard only let it run for a few seconds, until the point when the woman in the dress yelled “Penny!” and then he stopped it again.

“Penny,” he said. “Penny from the Library. Well. That shouldn’t be hard to track, should it?” He smiled brightly at Daniel. “Shouldn’t be hard at all.”


	8. Flashback #2

“The spell is, well, I don’t want to say simple.” Marina paused in her lecture. “After all, I wrote it. But it is deceptively elegant.” She tapped on the white board, where she’d written out a complex list of sigils, metamath and diagrams. The whole room smelled of chemicals from her marker. “We enter the warehouse half an hour before the delivery. Three of us will take point; the rest of you are purely look outs and back up. If someone so much as throws a light spell in my direction, you’ll suffer. Understand?”

The roomful of hedges nodded emphatically. Marina outstripped all of them in pure power, but that didn’t mean she let any of her coven get away without pulling their own weight. 

“The crate is being held on its own, on account of being really fucking dangerous. We’ll pick through the wards on the box, and then - here is the key element, so pay attention - not one of us will touch it, because it is cursed, and if you do, you will die, or at least wish you had. Then we will perform the modified object displacement spell. Since we’re moving a crate the size of a car and not, I don’t know, a coin for a magic trick, it will take all three of us, but the principle is the same. Make a little tunnel through spacetime, send the crate through. No big deal. Everyone stays out of the way when we’re doing that so their internal organs don’t liquify, and the plan goes off without a hitch. Any questions?”

One of the hedges raised his hand, and Marina gave him a withering look. “This isn’t kindergarten, Rafael.”

“Sorry, Mi - um, Marina.” Rafael flushed at the titters from the other hedgewitches. “I was just wondering. Who will be the three taking point?”

“Me, obviously,” Marina said. “Pete.” Her second-in-command gave a salute from the corner of the room where he was slouched. “And third will be…” Marina scanned the small room carefully, eyes lighting on the far corner. “Kady.”

There was an awkward silence as the rest of the hedges tried not to look at each other. Pete, reading the room, let out a sigh. “Ah, Marina, I’m not sure Kady - “

“I said it will be Kady.” A sharp, brittle note crept through Marina’s voice, the “don’t fuck with me” tone that let even Pete know it was time to back down. “She’s got the motivation.” Her eyes speared Kady across the room. “Don’t you?”

Kady shifted under the attention from the rest of the coven and pulled at the hood drawn up over her face. “Yeah, I got it,” she said. Her voice came out rough and dry, and she cleared her throat. “I can handle the spell.”

Her head was pounding, a steady throb that made even the dim lights of Marina’s safehouse feel like miniature suns, and her eyes were dry with at least a couple night’s lack of sleep. But she _could_ handle it, because it wasn’t like she had a choice.

“Good girl,” Marina said. “Then if we’re ready to go?”

The rest of the hedges began making their way in pairs out the street, where they would blend into the crowds and cross town to a warehouse that currently held an enormous cursed sphere, supposedly some kind of magical battery, awaiting transport upstate to Brakebills University. Marina’s plan was that the sphere never got to the school; her coven would steal it, and sell it off to the top hedge on the East Coast, paying the debts various members of the coven had incurred over the years. Then the hedge would touch it, die, and Marina would be Top Bitch.

It wasn’t a terrible plan, if you didn’t mind the part where someone was going to get murdered.

_Not your fucking problem,_ Kady reminded herself. _Marina’s scheme will pay Hannah’s debts too and that’s what you asked for. It’s not her fault you couldn’t come up with a smarter way to do it, but you’re too busy -_

She shut off that train of thought and got to her feet. She hadn’t eaten that morning and she was feeling light-headed, but it didn’t matter. She and Marina had gone over the displacement spell a hundred times last night, tangled up in the sheets on her bed, and Kady could do them in her sleep. She could do them high, but Marina would kill her if she tried that.

Across the room, Marina was arguing with Pete. He hated that Kady could outcast him even on her worst days. The hedge leader pulled away from him and crossed the room, her expression an odd mix of concern and unyielding demand. “I wasn’t wrong that you could handle this, was I?” she asked.

“I’ve got it,” Kady said irritably. 

Marina patted her cheek. “After tonight, Hannah’s debts are paid,” she reminded her. “And we’re all free. Keep that in mind, ‘kay baby?” Her free hand took Kady’s arm, a reassuring gesture except for the way her thumb brushed over the scars at Kady’s elbows. “I’m going to take care of you.”

Kady pulled away, tugging down the sleeve of her sweatshirt. “Let’s just do this, alright?”

“Eager. I like it.” She turned and barked, “Get a fucking move on!” at the remainder of the hedges in the room, then took Kady’s hand. “Let’s go.”

The warehouse was crawling with employees, which made it easy for the coven to slip in. Kady, amused, realized that Marina hadn’t asked the hedges to wear disguises, and that no one noticed them in spite of that. _Perks of the invisible class_ , she thought. The group moved in among the workers and reassembled at the back of the floor where a single large crate, covered in scrawled protection sigils, waited. Marina, Pete and Kady split off, each taking up a spot in a corner that set them in a triangle around the crate, but far enough back that they could go unnoticed. 

Kady settled on the edge of an empty pallet and yawned. The trip by train down to the warehouse had done nothing for her headache, and combined with the crawling beneath her skin she just wanted to curl up and nap while Marina picked her way through the wards on the crate. She could see the other woman from this position, hands low at her waist as she worked her way through the tuts, her movements precise and careful. Marina had some classical training, and it showed in the way she cast; it was hypnotizing to watch her. Kady didn’t even realize when her eyelids started to droop and - 

She jumped, almost yelling, when someone shook her shoulder. “Hey, kid, you okay?” Kady blinked, disoriented, thinking it was her mother standing over her to tell her it was time for school - and then realized it was an older woman who only vaguely looked like Hannah, face creased with worry that made Kady’s chest clench. “You don’t look so good.”

“No, I’m alright.” Kady stood up; it took two tries, but whatever. She spotted Pete and Marina still in their positions; Marina was giving her a fixed look, and her hands had stopped moving. Right, the displacement spell. “I, um, I’m okay. Just tired.” She tried to inch her way towards the crate.

The older woman followed. “Are you sure? I could get you some water.”

“No, I’m - you know what? Actually, that would be great.” Kady tried a smile. “Would you mind?”

“No problem. I’ll be right back.” The woman rushed away.

Kady turned her attention to the crate. Pete and Marina had already begun their parts of the spell. Kady brought her hands up and began racing through the tuts. They all had to finish at the same time or the spell would fail. Her fingers felt clumsy, but she’d been right about all that practice; the spell executed easily, and she felt the magic begin to build. The crate rumbled, dust and wood shavings falling all around it. Kady’s head was splitting and her pulse echoed in her ears as she twisted the threads of magic into a swirling vortex. She could see the same look of pained concentration on Marina and Pete’s faces. The crate jerked once, the air around it suddenly distorted, and - 

“Holy shit!” The sound of a cup of water hitting the floor brought Kady spinning around, eyes widening when she saw the older woman from earlier. Her eyes were bugging out as she stared at the crate. “What the - ?”

Kady’s hands ached as she snapped them through the tuts again and again. Marina had listed out the official names when they were practicing, _popper twelve, popper nine, popper thirty-three…_ She stared, brain shorting out on what to say as the woman moved closer. 

“Is that, what’s - hey!” The crate began to slide towards the point where Marina had focused the spell, and the woman ran forward. 

“No!” Kady lunged after her, remembering Marina’s warning about _liquefying organs_. 

Too late, she realized she’d dropped her corner of the spell. 

There was a moment of deafening silence, all sound in the room sucked out by the tunnel’s collapse. Kady had just enough time to see Pete mouth _fuck_ and Marina’s face transform with rage before the spell exploded outwards, throwing them all across the room.

She might have blacked out for a second. When she came to, her ears were ringing, and Marina was bending over her. _What the fuck did I take_ she thought, and then remembered. 

“Shit!” She shoved her way to a sitting position, Marina’s hands on her shoulders. 

“Shit’s a good descriptor. I can think of a few more.” Marina’s hands bruised her arms as she dragged Kady to her feet. “We need to go, now!” If she was angry, it didn’t show. Marina was good at reserving her emotions for when they would be most useful.

Kady spun, disoriented… and her stomach sank when she saw an unmoving figure lying at the base of the now unwarded crate. “What happened to her?”

“That random worker? She touched the fucking cursed box. Not a great idea.” Marina tugged. “Come on, Kady. We just let out a blast of magic big enough to be felt by every magician in New York. We need to leave.”

“But…” Kady yanked her arm free of Marina’s grip and ran the few steps, dropping to her knees. The woman wasn’t moving, and there was a crumpled paper cup beside her, because she was a nice lady who looked like Kady’s mom and who wanted to help out the strung-out stranger she’d found in the corner of a warehouse - “We need to - I’m not great at healing spells but - “ She knew a few. Harriet had made her learn them as a kid, just in case. She formed the beginning of the first one that came to mind, trying to recall if the thumb went left or right in the third movement - 

“Kady. You can’t do anything for her.” Marina again. “We’re leaving.”

“No, Marina, she was trying to help me - “

“Yeah, and I’m sure she was a nice lady. Sweetie, if we don’t - “

That was as far as she got before a voice yelled, “Stay where you are!” Kady turned, and saw Pete with his hands up in the air, the rest of the coven stunned and confused, and the room filling up with stiff-looking men and women in grey suits, each wearing a distinctive silver pin in the shape of a book.

One of them, a dark haired man, approached Kady and Marina. “Well, what happened here?” he asked in a thick British accent. 

“Can you help her?” she asked. The man gave her an odd smirk, and Kady surged to her feet, grabbing the lapels of his jacket. “Can you?”

The man twisted, arms coming up in what Kady realized too late were tuts, and the next thing she knew there were cuffs around her wrists, ice-cold with the distinctive feeling of magic. Behind her, Marina gave an outraged cry.

The stranger smoothed out the wrinkles Kady had left in his jacket. “I may be able to help her,” he said. “We do have special skills.” He smiled. “And by we, I mean the Order of the Library of the Neitherlands. Oh, yeah. You’re being arrested.”

“Well,” Marina said in an oddly calm voice. “Fuck.”

***

“Popper Forty-Three,” Alice said. “It’s deceptively complex. Only two tuts, but you need to keep your wrists at exactly ninety degrees or you lose the whole thing. Watch closely.”

Alice was hardcore when it came to magic. Unlike Gavin, who was responsible for Penny’s Traveling instruction, she was also a good teacher, as long as Penny paid attention and didn’t frustrate her by losing the thread of her instruction. Penny focused carefully on her hands, watching the way her fingers bent and twisted through the tuts. Everything about Alice was always so precise and controlled that it surprised him how delicate her casting was. His hands felt enormous beside hers as he copied the movements.

“Good,” she said. “No, no, remember, this finger - “ she twisted his pinkie; Penny tried not to show the wince. “That’s it. And just release it.”

He snapped his hands into place, the movement a lot more natural now than it had been when Alice had started training him two months ago, and felt a surge of accomplishment when the magic flooded out. On their own, Poppers didn’t do anything, but you could still feel it when they worked.

Alice’s face lit up in a delighted smile, and she held one hand up awkwardly until Penny, bemused, gave her a high-five. “You got it! That’s all of them. Now you can do any spell.” She seemed to realize her own enthusiasm was out of character and her smile dimmed, but her face was still flushed with excitement.

Penny grinned back at her, feeling a little ridiculous, but proud. “Guess it wasn’t hopeless after all,” he said, then looked down at the book spread out in front of him to give her a moment to react. Teasing Alice was fun, but it was a balancing act; go too far in pretending like they were friends, and she shut down for weeks. 

“I never said _you_ were hopeless, I said me teaching was - oh.” Alice caught the joke and smiled, cheeks red. “Alright, so now that you’ve got them down…” 

She turned back to the spell book, pushing up the sleeves of her sweater. Like Penny, she had a small tattoo just at the crook of her elbow. Penny had been startled to realize, a week after she was assigned to handle his “remedial magic training,” that Alice was also under contract to the Library; he had assumed she was a full Librarian, even though she was his age. He’d tried a few times to find out what she’d done to wind up in a contract like his - somehow he couldn’t see her robbing a jewelry store for a magical trinket - but Alice made it clear she didn’t want to talk about it.

Actually, Alice didn’t want to talk about much except magic. Which was fine, Penny wasn’t here to make friends. It was just quiet in the Library, that was all, moving from one huge, cavernous space to another, where everyone talked in low voices, and rarely to him. Once Gavin had taught him to strengthen the wards on his mind, he didn’t even have the voices for company.

Normally Alice trained him over in the Larkin Hall on the fifth ring that made up the Neitherlands Belt, which housed the operations center for the organization. That building was an enormous block of glass and stone, and the people there, other than the handful of recruits in training like Penny and Alice, were Agents of the Library, rushing off on missions and not interested in talking about their work. But today Alice had wanted access to the academic texts, which meant a trip to the inner rings and the building the agents referred to as the Stacks, the original Library of the Neitherlands, built here long before this planet had become the center of all magic, when it was just a place with a lot of books. The Stacks were dim and a little dusty, and other than the silent Librarian who’d pointed them in the right direction, Penny hadn’t seen anyone.

So when there was a sudden explosion of sound, just as Alice was getting into an explanation of how Poppers Forty-Three and Nineteen could be combined to create a defensive shield, they both jumped.

“The hell was that?” Penny asked, turning in the direction of the noise. It was coming from the portal, a steadily building cacophony of angry voices and stomping feet.

“I don’t know.” Alice looked uncertain. “Maybe we should find someone - “

“Let’s check it out.” Penny rolled his eyes at her expression. “Oh, come on, Quinn, you’re not scared? You’ve got all those fancy defense spells.” He grinned. “I’m sure you’ll protect me.”

“That’s not funny,” she said, but after a minute she smiled and brushed past him in the direction of the sound. 

Penny wasn’t really expecting anything dangerous. Librarian Phyllis, who was in charge of orienting the new recruits, had explained to him that the Library was “warded up the ass with every protective spell ever cast.” As they neared the portal that led up to the surface of the planet and peered through the shelves, they found a group of grey-suited Librarians, including Gavin, arguing with several people who definitely didn’t look like they belonged in the Stacks. The new group were much more eclectically dressed, and all of them were angry.

“They’ve done a raid,” Alice said, pressing up beside him to get a better look. She kept her voice quiet, though Penny doubted anyone could hear them over the noise the newcomers were making. “Those are hedgewitches. The Library must have raided one of their safe houses.”

“Why?” He recognized it too - the woman who seemed to be the group’s leader had a line of stars stamped up her arm, and all of the new recruits had jewelry and tattoos that were designed to hold personal enchantments. “Hedges are harmless.” 

“Usually,” Alice said, “but that doesn’t mean they can’t wander their way into something dangerous. Or that the Library won’t pretend they have so they have an excuse to tamp down on any covens that are getting too strong.” Her tone was so matter-of-fact that Penny gave her a startled look. Alice’s attention was still on the hedgewitches though. “This group must have gotten into something bad,” she said. “See those cuffs? They don’t put those on just anyone. Oh, that’s not a good idea.” She winced. 

Penny turned in time to see one of the hedges try to cast herself free of the cuffs and get knocked on her ass by the spell’s rebound. That only set off the rest of them even more. 

“The backlash if you try a spell against those cuffs is not worth it,” Alice said.

Her voice implied experience. Penny smiled. “You’ll have to tell me that story sometime.”

Several of the hedges looked ready to turn to fists if they couldn’t use magic. Their leader, a girl in black leather with a cold expression, got up in Gavin’s face, and that finally pissed Gavin off enough to throw a silencing spell. The yelling cut off abruptly, though behind the spell the hedges were still protesting.

“What will happen to them?” Penny asked quietly, thinking of Director Rowe’s invisible bonds around his wrists that first day. There was something sickly fascinating in the way these hedges continued fighting a hopeless battle.

The Librarians started to lead their prisoners away to the portal back to the operations center. Most of them went along, still giving attitude but shocked by the silencing spell and the cuffs, but the girl in the back, the one who’d tried to free herself, was still on the ground. Penny winced as she was dragged, half-conscious, to her feet by two of the largest of Gavin’s muscle - then almost laughed out loud and gave himself away when she dropped the act and twisted around to jab her elbow into the man’s gut, following it up by stomping on her other captor’s foot. Both of them let out howls of pain and a third Librarian had to join them to subdue her. Behind the silencing spell, she was clearly yelling, and Penny thought he saw her mouth _where is she?_

“Damn,” he muttered under his breath, impressed. They dragged the girl past him, and she looked up right at that moment. She had curly dark hair that had obscured her face all through the fighting, but he caught a glimpse of green eyes sparking with anger. They met his, and for a moment Penny thought of Traveling over there and ripping the men’s hands off her before they noticed what was happening, just to see what she would do. Then her face twisted into a sneer and she turned away as she was pulled off into the Stacks.

“They’ll get the same speech we all did.”

“What?” Penny shook himself out of the memory of furious eyes and looked back at Alice, who was already turning away to return to their books. “You mean, they’ll be recruited?”

Alice shrugged. “A few, if they’re strong enough. That leader, probably. Even if they had no idea what they were doing, she must have gotten them into some deep magic to get the Library’s attention. They may want to recruit her just for that. The rest will get the Mark and be sent home.”

Right. The Mark. The thing that made you lose a limb if you did too much magic. Penny glanced back over his shoulder, thinking about the green-eyed girl trying to cast with those cuffs on. “All of them, you think?” he asked. “She - I mean, some of them were really fighting. Doesn’t the Library need battle magicians?” Supposedly the Library just catalogued information and “kept magic safe,” but Penny wasn’t an idiot. He knew he was being trained for a lot more than collecting overdue books.

“Sure, but hedgewitches?” Alice shook her head. “They don’t have the right backgrounds for Library work.”

“Like I do? I’m still taking Remedial Poppers.”

“You’re a Traveler. Special case.” Alice smiled. “Besides, I think you’re almost caught up to where most of us were when we were recruited.”

“If you say so, Ms. Classical Training,” he said. That was just a guess, and by the way she shook her head, it was the wrong one. 

“Let’s finish up this lesson before Gavin’s ready for you,” was all she said.

Penny got back into position over the books and tried to focus his attention on Alice’s voice and the twists of her fingers. But he couldn’t make himself forget those angry eyes, or the girl who wouldn’t stop fighting even after she’d lost.

***

“- and I’ll have Pru’s son give you a call,” her mother said as they exited the restaurant. “Ryan? No, no I think it’s Brian. Or Bryant?”

“The one who just got out of rehab,” Mackenzie murmured, making Julia giggle. 

Unfortunately for her daughters, Marilyn Wicker had incredible hearing. “The one who finished a respectable treatment program and has just been hired by Marsh & McLennan,” she said pointedly. In Marilyn’s world, “rehab” and “treatment” were different things, distinguished by how much you paid. “I’m sure he’ll have good advice for you, Julia, for when you begin your job search.”

“I won’t be out of school for another two years, Mom,” Julia said, for about the fifth time that weekend.

“I don’t know what kind of program requires three years,” Marilyn said. Her tone invited an explanation, but when Julia just gave a polite smile, her mother sighed. “Well, anyway, at least take his call. Maybe you can meet up for dinner or drinks. You barely mention a personal life. I still think you and James- “

“It was nice to see you, Mom,” Julia said, cutting in before her mother could launch into how Julia had ruined her life by breaking up with James again. She ducked in and pressed a quick kiss to her mother’s cheek, herding her in the direction of the town car waiting at the curb. 

Marilyn was too polite to chase them down the street, so she was left spluttering in front of her car while Julia linked her arm through her sister’s and pulled Mackenzie away into the Saturday afternoon downtown crowds. Mackenzie laughed as they turned the corner. “You’ve gotten so good at shutting her down,” she said. “I’m going to have to take lessons.”

“Don’t be silly, I learned from the best,” Julia said.

Mackenzie’s expression grew thoughtful as they continued on, pressed together by the surge of people out celebrating a rare warm January day. “You’re very cheerful,” she said. “Is Mom wrong about you not having a personal life? Maybe there’s a boy?”

“No boy.” She considered saying that the closest she’d come to a date recently had been hooking up with Gretchen on the roof of the PA building after finals, but her sister would either be horrified or want to meet Gretchen. “I’m happy. Is that so unusual?”

“Yes.” Julia blinked, startled, and Mackenzie shrugged. “Oh, I know you weren’t miserable before, or at least you were good at pretending, but this is different. I don’t think I’ve seen you like this since you were a kid playing swords-and-wizards with Quentin at the beach house all summer.”

“Dungeons and dragons.”

“Whatever it was. Julia - “ Her sister stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, ignoring the squawks of a few pedestrians not accustomed to slowing their pace for obstacles. “This program you’re in - I know you don’t like to talk about it - “

“It’s not that I don’t like to talk about it,“ Julia said, not really sure how that sentence was going to end. _I just can’t tell you what I’m really studying_ wouldn’t work. Neither would _if I tell you, you’ll run to Mom and she’ll have me committed before I can get to a portal._

Even if she demonstrated magic right here on the street, Mackenzie wouldn’t understand. Her sister had been Julia’s supporter and confidante all her life, but if she’d ever had an imaginative bone in her body, she’d exorcised it a long time ago. 

“ - but I’m glad it makes you happy,” her sister finished. 

“Thanks.” Julia squeezed her arm, then pulled away. “This is my stop.”

“Sure I can’t convince you to stay the night? We could make martinis and watch Devil Wears Prada?”

“I have friends waiting for me,” Julia said. “Another time.”

She watched her sister hail a cab, then ducked into the metro station, aiming not for one of the trains but a remote corner near the newsstand. New York was riddled with portals. Most were private and impossible to find if you didn’t know to look, but Eliot had shown her a few tricks. Behind the kiosk was what appeared to be the locked door of a maintenance closet, but a quick tut got it open, and when she stepped through she was in the back hall of a magician’s bar in Brooklyn.

Immediately, everything felt different. Magic, once you were aware of it, was everywhere and Julia never lost the sensation - she’d used it constantly throughout her weekend with her mother and sister, for everything from fixing her hair before dinner to refilling her drink while her mother droned on about life on the Met Board - but it was different being in a place full of magicians. Everyone here used magic daily, and the ambient threads of discarded spells tingled against her skin as she made her way down the hall and into the main room of the bar. The flavor wasn’t quite what you got at Brakebills, but it wasn’t the messy spark of hedge witches either. This bar was frequented by trained magicians, and run by a Brakebills grad, so it felt familiar, with just a touch of something less tame.

It felt like being home, in a way that her mother’s penthouse or even Mackenzie’s place, once a refuge, never did anymore. Julia was smiling as she slipped through the bar to a tall table in the back.

Her friends were waiting, empty glasses already in front of them and refills arriving as she did. Eliot and Margo were engaged in an intense argument over something written on a stack of napkins, slapping at each other and yelling “no, _you’re_ stupid” while Quentin watched with a besotted expression. Eliot glanced up when Julia climbed onto a stool and took the vodka and lime Margo had waiting for her under a chilling spell. 

“We need your intervention,” he said, ripping a napkin out of Margo’s hands over her protests. “I say if you take Hong-Chen’s interdimensional tunneling algorithm and apply it with that mapping spell Mayakovsky always droned on and on about, you could create a portal without visiting the other end to calculate the circumstances first, and Bambi says - “

“That you’re a fucking idiot who’s going to get himself blown up without accomplishing anything,” Margo offered.

“-she says that. We need a knowledge student to settle this. Bambi will abide by your judgement.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Julia took a long sip of her drink and held out her hand. “Let’s see.”

Eliot handed her the napkin, covered in a mix of his loopy scrawl and Margo’s smaller, sharper writing. The numbers and lettering in three different alphanumeric systems spun out in Julia’s brain, painting pictures of magic. There were students at Brakebills who could do metamath faster - Quentin, for one, to everyone’s surprise but Julia’s - or who could memorize spells with more ease, like Eliot, who only had to cast something once before he could replicate it perfectly every time. But Julia hadn’t heard anyone else describe looking at a spell like she did, and seeing not only the way the magic would twist and shape the fabric of reality, but all the possibilities the spell’s creator hadn’t seen, how a single extra line or tut could change the whole purpose.

“Well, you’re both right,” she said. “This is brilliant, El. You could portal to anywhere with this.” Eliot stuck his tongue out at Margo, and then his face fell when she added, “But about ten minutes after you got there, you’d explode.”

“Dammit,” he muttered, while Margo laughed and Quentin offered, “So, a really short trip?”

“Don’t encourage him.”

“Try Edwards & Shair’s teleportation spell in place of the Hong-Chen,” Julia suggested. 

Eliot’s eyes lit up and he grabbed the napkin back, ignoring Margo’s complaints about people who did homework at the bar with a muttered, “some of us just don’t enjoy getting transported to Ibiza with the peons every year, Bambi.”

Quentin finally pulled his gaze away from his - boyfriend? Boyfriend and girlfriend? Something had gone down between the three of them while Julia was on the roof with Gretchen that night, but she was unclear on the details - and smiled at her. “Good weekend?” he asked.

“It was fine.” Julia drained her glass and twisted around to check the line at the bar. 

“I thought you might stay longer.” She raised her eyebrows and he laughed. “I know, your mom is, uh, your mom. But I thought you might take advantage of a weekend with Mackenzie.”

“I miss her,” Julia admitted. A waiter appeared with another round of drinks. Julia tried to thank him, but he was too busy flirting with Margo - who glanced from his ass to Quentin with a “what do you think?” quirk to her eyebrows - to notice. 

“So why didn’t you stay?” Quentin asked, ignoring whatever Margo was trying to imply. Julia suspected she didn’t want to know.

“I wanted to meet up with you guys.”

“But you see us every day.” 

Quentin had been going to New Jersey at least once a month since his father was diagnosed with cancer, and while Margo and Eliot weren’t in touch with their families, they still found time to disappear for a week here and there on some exotic vacation just for them. Julia supposed it looked strange that she never wanted to leave campus.

“When I go home,” she said, picking her way through something she hadn’t looked at too closely before, “it’s like there’s an old version of me, and she’s a lot closer to the surface. And I get… nervous is overstating, but I don’t like the thought of turning back into her.”

Quentin nodded, playing with the straw in his drink. “All Julias are pretty great,” he offered.

“Of course they are.” She smiled so he would do the same. “But the way I was before Brakebills - “

She remembered that girl. Driven and determined and smart, sure. Julia remembered wanting to be successful, and behind that some undefined desire to take all the things that made her frustrated and angry and _change_ them. But she’d had no idea how to do that, no way to make her life matter on the scale she wanted, and now she could look back and realize all the ways that girl was just going to end up like her mother, bitter and frustrated.

“Promise me something?” she asked. “My mom is going to have this guy call me. Bryant, I think? If I say I’m going to go for drinks with him, tell me no.”

“Uh, okay?” Quentin laughed. “But I’m not worried about you dating a guy named _Bryant_.”

“Don’t be judgmental. I’m sure Bryant went to school with plenty of Eliots. Maybe even a few Margos.” He ducked his head, grinning, but she needed to explain more than she needed to tease him. “But it’s not about that. Just… don’t let me fall back into it, ever, okay?” She remembered the day of his Yale interview, lecturing him on the street about growing up and finding new things to love. “Don’t let me decide that magic isn’t worth it.”

“You never would.” He said it like she’d suggested something shocking. “But I promise.” Quentin slapped the table, getting Eliot and Margo’s attention. “Guys, we promise we’re not going to let Julia ever give up magic, right?”

Eliot and Margo both looked at them like they were crazy, but they agreed enthusiastically. Eliot grabbed his glass and raised it in a toast. “To Julia never giving up magic.”

“And to us kicking her ass if she tries!” Margo added.

“See?” Quentin said. “Nothing to worry about.”


	9. Chapter 9

“An exhibit of contemporary female artists?” Julia said when Penny handed her the tickets a block away from the MoMA. “I admit, I wouldn’t have guessed that.”

She’d figured out where they were going a few minutes after they’d stepped off the subway. Julia had spent most of her life in New York, raised by a woman who loved the prestige of having connections in the art world, and she could walk to every museum in the city with her eyes closed. But despite her protests to her friends, she hadn’t been keeping up with current exhibits, so the tickets still threw her.

Penny looked insulted, but she figured he was faking it. “What, you think I don’t appreciate women’s art?” he asked. “What did you expect?”

“Hmm.” Julia studied him, considering. “Something abstract. Lots of patterns and colors. Like your clothes.”

“Are you making fun of my clothes, Wicker?”

She giggled. “No! I appreciate your confidence in your masculinity.”

“Uh-huh. Well, I will have you know I know a lot about contemporary female artists. I read all the brochures.” A look of uncertainty went over his face, quickly masked. “So what do you think?”

What she thought was that Penny had picked a museum exhibit for their first date because it was in her profile as an interest and he was being cautious. This whole night had a feeling of catering to her that wasn’t unappealing in a second date, but still left her with the sense that she wasn’t getting to know who _Penny_ was.

They’d met at a bar for drinks before the exhibit, one close enough to her office to be convenient to her but far enough away that they wouldn’t run into any of her co-workers doing happy hour. Julia was grateful for that; if Margo had shown up while she and Penny were laughing over their shared love of nineties TV, she might have given up on dating again. Penny had picked the place, but he’d texted her the name two days ago, giving her plenty of time to change it if she wanted. When she’d arrived for the start of their date, he’d been waiting on the street outside, and they’d gone in together to find a table. He’d remembered the wine she ordered on their first date, but asked if that’s what she wanted rather than ordering it for her, and when the check came he’d taken out his wallet, but slowly, giving her enough time to suggest they split. He was being careful with her, like he was worried about screwing up. It was a change from the ultra-confident guy she’d met a week ago, or the one who’d been sending her flirty texts all week. 

She still liked him, though. He was funny, in an understated way, and the more they talked, the more they found things in common. Most of them were superficial - favorite movies, favorite foods, Penny had apparently gone through a Star Trek phase as a kid at the same time she had - but Julia found herself jumping on them. It was incredibly easy being with Penny; despite his smooth exterior, he was generous and warm and he kept the conversation flowing. He’d drawn out a few more details of her life; Julia had found herself chatting away about school and her friends and her co-workers, only later realizing how skillfully Penny shifted the subject when it veered towards his own background.

And the spark was still there between them. Even when they were teasing each other, it didn’t feel like being out with one of her friends; every time Penny held her eyes for more than a few seconds, or touched her hand or her back to guide her on the crowded subway, a little shiver went through her. That palpable tension from their first date had only increased over a week of texting, and had surged to life when he’d hugged her in front of the bar. He was tall enough to make it awkward, except that she’d wavered a little on her work heels and ended up leaning against his chest, and the feeling of his arms around her combined with his scent and warmth had made a part of her - a tiny part, not to be listened to - want to suggest they skip the whole date and go back to her place. Penny had felt it too; there had been a pleased look in his eyes when they pulled away from each other, and again and again over the next hour she’d sensed his eyes lingering on her. Every time she caught him, his lips curled up in a satisfied smile and Julia had to fight not to blush.

So she was enjoying herself, both with the funny, warm Penny who argued with her about which Captain was better (Julia had imprinted on Janeway, even if her show sucked; Penny related to Sisko) and the version with the intense gaze who made her breath catch. But she wasn’t seeing the places where they fit together, and there was still so much missing.

_That’s what a date is for,_ she reminded herself. _Just because you’re out of practice getting to know people doesn’t mean he’s hiding something._

“I think this will be fun,” she said, waving the tickets, and saw his relief.

The show was a popular one, so they had to wait in line when they entered the museum to show their tickets. “Do you come here a lot?” Julia asked, then laughed at herself. “Sorry, that sounded like a weird pick up line.”

“Hey, I don’t object to being picked-up,” he said. “But I think the last time was a couple of years ago? They had an exhibit on upcoming artists from Central America. A friend’s mother took us.”

“Oh, I remember that one! My sister - “ She made a face. “This sounds so obnoxious, but my mom used to be on the board at the Met, and my sister, Mackenzie, she joined the MoMA board as a competitive thing between them. She was really excited about that show.”

“Wow.” If Penny was intimidated by her background, it didn’t show. “You must see all the exhibits.”

“Not really. My mom and I aren’t close, and if I go to something she helped organize, like a fundraiser, she spends the whole time bugging me about my life. Mackenzie’s gotten me into some great shows though.” Though not in the last couple of years; Julia had been bad for a while now about responding to her sister’s offers. There was just so much energy involved in pretending to be who Mackenzie still thought she was.

“What’s wrong with your life?” Julia gave him a confused look, and he explained, “You said your mom bugs you about your life.”

“Oh, you know, the usual.” Penny gave her a blank look, and she clarified, “I work too much for someone whose career isn’t advancing - not that she even knows what my career is, of course - she doesn’t like the neighborhood I live in, she doesn’t like how I did my hair - “

They reached the entrance and showed their tickets, and the attendant waved them on. As soon as they were past the crowd and heading for the first exhibit hall, Penny said, “Well, if you need someone to get your mom off your back, let me know. I do great with parents.”

“Really?” Julia gave him a skeptical once-over, not bothering to hide it. Mackenzie would love Penny, but her mother would be horrified, and not just because, she suspected, Penny didn’t exactly come from the brunch-and-golf set. “Somehow I don’t see you as the type to make polite conversation and hide how you really feel about everything, which is a must in my mother’s circle.”

“You’d be surprised at the shit I can put up with.” She’d meant it as a joke, or maybe a compliment, so she didn’t know what to make of the wry expression on his face. “But you aren’t exactly a wallflower yourself.”

“And that’s why my mother and I don’t get along.” Julia glanced at the map in her hand and led him towards the display of Amy Stillman pieces. “How about you? Are you close to your family?”

“I don’t really have one,” he said. “My parents weren’t around for long when I was a kid, so I mostly grew up in foster care. Good families,” he added quickly; Julia got a feeling he’d dealt with a lot of people who made other assumptions. “But then I left Florida and I don’t get back there a lot. I keep in touch with a few people but it’s not the same.”

“Sure,” Julia said, though she’d never lived anywhere but New York. Well, and Fillory. She wondered why Penny seemed wealthy and free enough to go back and forth from California so much but not to go home. 

“My best friend, though, she’s from around here,” he added. “And she and her family kind of adopted me. Against my will.” He laughed. “Her stepmom, I guess you’d say, she acts like she has to civilize me. Drives me insane, but they’re cool.”

“That’s great. I think the families we choose are usually the better ones anyway. My friends make me crazy too, but I can’t imagine where I’d be without them.” Penny nodded, but didn’t say anything. “What’s your friend’s name?” Julia asked. She’d been curious about this woman since the last date; Julia wasn’t in a position to judge, considering Quentin, but a tiny sliver of insecurity had wormed its way into her stomach each time Penny mentioned her.

Again, there was a brief hesitation, like Penny didn’t want to share even that much. “Her name is Hannah,” he said finally, but he didn’t offer anything more. “Hey, check out that painting.”

Julia followed him across the hall, shoving down her disappointment. _Second date_ , she reminded herself.

***

Kady checked her phone as she stepped out onto the street, letting the door of the rec center where her Friday NA meeting was held bang shut behind her. She had no new calls, and her last text was from the exchange she’d had with Penny two days ago, when he asked her the name of the bar in the financial district that Marina was alway talking about. They’d seen each other since then, of course, but they’d barely talked beyond answering questions about the paperwork they were shuffling for the Librarians while they waited for a real assignment. 

Kady knew Penny had a date with Julia that night, because he’d asked her when her own was before scheduling it. He’d gone with Friday so he could get ahead of her, which might have pissed her off, except this was not a real competition. Kady was running an investigation on a subject who just happened to be really cute and smart and interesting; Penny was the one letting his feelings get in the way.

The choice of bars told her Penny was playing it safe, which in Kady’s opinion was a mistake. Kady had seen the way Julia reacted in her office that day. She liked someone who challenged her. 

She typed out a quick text: _Close out the date with something she isn’t expecting._

The return message came almost immediately: _I don’t need advice._

“Can’t say I didn’t try,” Kady muttered. At least Penny wouldn’t be able to claim she was sabotaging his chances.

She’d made her way back across town to her own neighborhood, picking up take-out on the way, and was settling in front of the TV when her phone buzzed again.

_What were you going to suggest?_

She grinned. _Hey, I don’t want to mess up your game. You said you don’t need help._

_I don’t. I want to protect her from whatever insane thing you’re going to spring on her._

_There’s that hero complex again._ She paused, thinking. _What’s the role?_

_Role?_

_You’re basically undercover, right? So what’s the role you’re playing for her? Mysterious oil heir who can get her into the most exclusive club in the city? Guy from the wrong side of the tracks who’ll buy her street vendor food and teach her to relax like the little people do?_

_You watch too many movies._

_I’m just saying, whatever you do for your grand romantic gesture, it should fit the persona. She needs to feel she’s getting something from the real you. Give something to get something._

_Have you ever done a romantic gesture in your life?_

_No_ , she admitted. _Have you?_

She saw the little dots move like he was responding, but nothing popped up for a long moment. Then he texted _I have to go. Play the role, huh?_

_Play the role,_ she typed back. She didn’t get another response.

She tossed her phone down on the couch and dug into her curry, absently scanning the streaming options on her TV, turning up the volume even though she was still just looking at ads. Her apartment was too quiet. Maybe she should go for a jog, or finish painting the guest room wall, or make cookies. She wished her meeting hadn’t been so early.

“I do not watch too many movies,” she said to the TV.

***

Penny sent his last text to Kady, then tucked his phone into his pocket as he saw Julia returning from the restroom. _Play the role_ , he thought, disgusted. The roles Penny was always playing for the Library were bodyguard and thugs; he got sent in when his bosses wanted to intimidate someone who’d done something dangerous or stupid into never thinking about trying again. He hadn’t minded so much in the beginning, when he was twenty-one and having older magicians fear him had felt good, but over time he’d come to value the handful of people he got to be more than that with. Kady. Alice. Charlie, especially; sometimes he thought Charlie had made him into an entirely different person just by existing.

Julia might have liked that guy, if he wasn’t also lying about his career and the last ten years of his life and the real reason he was dating her.

She appeared next to him, slipping the brochure from the exhibit in her purse. “That was fun,” she said. “What next?”

“I was thinking dinner, if you’re hungry?” They stepped out onto the steps leading down the street. The sky had darkened a little while they were inside.

“Sure,” Julia said. “But somewhere we can walk, okay?” She swung her arms as they started down the street. “I don’t feel like getting in a car or on the train.”

“There’s a place a few blocks from here. Japanese. How does that sound?”

“Perfect.” Julia smiled up at him, then hesitated slightly before taking his hand. “Did you enjoy the exhibit?”

“Sure.” Penny kept his hand loose in hers. 

“Such enthusiasm.”

“I’m not much of a museum guy,” he admitted. “I like art, just… there’s something about dragging it all out of the places where it was made and putting it on display somewhere sterile and detached. I guess I’d rather go see the artists in their own spaces.”

“I can understand that.” She looked disproportionately pleased at this insight, which just made Penny feel guilty again about how much he wasn’t saying.

“But I liked, uh, Fellman, was it? The sculptures.”

“Those were great.” She made a face. “Listen to me. ’They were great.’ Can you believe I once wanted to be an art critic? For ten minutes when I was fourteen, but still.”

“Critic, not artist?”

She practically cackled. “Oh, no, my art career peaked in first grade. I almost flunked finger-painting.”

“Tell me that’s not actually possible.”

“I smeared the paint in my best friend’s hair instead of on the paper.”

They continued talking about the exhibit, and then other exhibits she’d been to, as they ate dinner. If this had been a normal dating situation, he’d have said it was going well, that he was definitely getting a third date and maybe some action, even a long shot at getting invited back to Julia’s place after. He saw the way she was looking at him, probably the same way he was looking at her. There was no problem with chemistry here, not at all. For a second date, this was pretty fucking good.

None of that was going to help him protect her from the Library, though.

_If she’s even the one who needs protection_ , a treacherous voice whispered in his ear, and Penny thought _shut up Kady._

“What was that?”

Penny shook his head. “Got distracted.” He glanced at the approaching waiter. “Check, or did you want dessert?”

“Check is fine.” She looked a little annoyed, though. Penny realized he’d taken his phone out at some point, and quickly slipped it back into his pocket. 

“Sorry,” he said. “My friend was texting earlier.” Too late, it occurred to him that bringing up Kady might not be the best idea. He could remember a dozen times he’d looked up from his phone, smiling at something ridiculous she’d said, to find Alice watching him with an ambiguous expression.

But Julia’s eyes softened. “Do you need to take it? I get it if you do. I have friends I try not to ignore.”

“I don’t normally ignore her texts, but - “ There were a whole string under Kady’s name, but they were all jokes with bizarre vegetable emojis attached. “No, trust me, I do not want to respond to these.” Julia tilted her head, confused, and he explained, “K- Hannah, my friend, she’s having a little too much fun with me dating. I’m getting, uh, advice.”

“Ah.” Julia’s cheeks reddened as she drained her wine. “I’ve been getting that from all my friends.”

He paid the bill, and they got up to leave. 

“Want to walk me to the train?” she asked when they stepped back outside. “We could take the long route. Maybe stop for coffee or something?”

“I like that idea,” he said, and got another smile.

He liked when Julia smiled, when she laughed, even if he wasn’t sure he trusted it. He got the impression that she wasn’t a very happy person. Everything about her indicated a woman on top of her life in every way, but when she got distracted a more serious expression would cross her face, and Penny found himself intrigued by it. He wondered if she would ever want to show him _that_ Julia. 

And if that Julia had anything to do with Reynard, and complicated spells, and - 

He sighed, rubbing his forehead.

“You okay?”

Julia tilted her head back to look up at him. Her expression had turned serious and concerned. 

“I’m - yeah, you know what?” Penny grasped at a random straw, something he remembered from her profile. “Instead of coffee, I was thinking of trying something else. You said you like Fillory, right? Do they have good desserts there?”

Her face shuttered, but not before he caught a faint wince. “I don’t remember, it’s been forever. And I doubt they make them at the Fillory district here in New York anyway.”

Penny had never eaten Fillorian food and what he’d heard about had sounded unappealing, but he was more interested in her reaction. She’d made that same face when he brought up Fillory on their first date, and back then, Penny hadn’t had any intention of prying. God knew he had his own secrets. But now it was imperative that he crack Julia’s polished, pretty facade and find the girl who wrote ground-breaking spells and had a blacked out book in the Stacks. And this was what he had to work with: the place that was her favorite spot, but still put that look on her face.

He’d been thinking of the Fillorian food carts across town, but maybe he needed to go bigger than that. _Give something to get something._

“I’ve only ever gone to one place there.” He could tell she wasn’t enjoying this turn in the conversation, that she was getting ready to pull away, and he started talking faster. “It was a little town, a village I guess, near the capital of the main country. Just a few houses and a bar and I think a blacksmith place, up on a hill. Nothing special. But there was this cliff, and when you stood on it you could see the castle. You ever been there?”

Julia’s face was very still. “You mean Whitespire? Yeah, I …. I’ve been there. Like I said, it was a long time ago.” Irritation crept into her voice, a spark that flashed in her eyes.

There. That was it, the real Julia, wavering beneath the polite smile. “Do you trust me?” he asked, aware that he sounded like a crazy man.

“With what?” Julia shook her head, giving an odd laugh. “I trust you to pick a good dinner place, and to return my texts next week without ghosting. Beyond that? No offense, but you’re a guy I’ve met twice. What’s going on, Penny? What’s with the sudden mood change?”

He took her hands, pleased and a little surprised when she let him despite her wary expression. “Look, this is going to sound strange, but I… I think I’m going to trust you.” He squeezed her hands, drawing her attention down to their intertwined fingers. He saw the moment when she caught sight of his tattoos. Most magicians had tats with spells worked in; Julia had a couple of small ones herself. But a Traveler’s tattoos were unique, not just in design, but in the way they lit up when he pulled on the permanent spell etched in his skin. Penny drew on a little magic, and Julia gasped.

“This isn’t the kind of thing I share with a lot of people.” Most Travelers kept their nature to themselves. The Library couldn’t trick everyone into working for them, but they weren’t the only ones who would try. “But I wanted to show you. Do you trust me?” he asked again.

“Of course not.” But she was interested, he could see it. She bit her lip, closing her eyes for a second, then opened them. “Okay.”

He released the spell and disappeared, pulling her along.

They rematerialized on a hill at night, the ground grassy and uneven beneath their feet, thick trees with distinctive clock pieces in their trunks surrounding them. The sounds of the city vanished, replaced with the chirping and chattering of possible-sentient crickets. The air in his lungs was suddenly sweeter. Penny let out a breath and looked around, pleased that he’d hit the correct spot. He’d only been here once before.

“Welcome back to Fillory,” he said. He glanced down at Julia, seeing her tense, pale face and scrunched-tight eyes. “You can look now.”

She didn’t, for a moment, just stood there with her eyes squeezed shut and her fingers stiff in his, and when she finally took a deep breath and looked around, it wasn’t with the awed expression he’d been expecting. Her hands slid out of his, and she took a step back, breathing deeply, slowly taking in their surroundings. Her face was very blank.

“Julia?” he asked, warily. This risk could backfire, massively.

“What the hell?” she said softly.

“It’s Fillory,” he said, a little unnecessarily. “I need to know where I’m going to Travel, and sorry, I don’t know the Floating Islands. But you said you’d been to this place…” His voice trailed off as she turned, her back to him, looking down the slope of the hill into the valley, at the castle that nestled there in the fog.

It was pretty cool looking, Penny could give it that, with the diamond-things spinning in the air over the turrets. Like a fantasy novel, and Penny had never liked fantasy - Frankie’s sister had loved movies with dragons and princesses, but all Penny had ever seen was magic being used to pretty up the darker shit in life, which in his experience was the last thing magic did - but the castle and the moons and river beyond it were all peaceful, and the stillness of the moment, out here with just the two of them, made him hold his breath. Julia stood there for a long moment, and when she turned back he still didn’t know how to read the emotion on her face, but it definitely wasn’t blank.

“This is where we came through, the first time,” she said. “This was the first view of Fillory I ever saw.” She stood another shuddering breath. “I didn’t think I’d ever see it again.”

“Surprise?”

She shook her head. “I didn’t think I wanted to.”

“Oh.” He should probably apologize for that, even if he couldn’t bring himself to be totally sorry. Julia was - shaking, a little, and wide-eyed, but her expression wasn’t anger, and it wasn’t the sadness he’d glimpsed on and off over their two dates, when she thought he wasn’t noticing. There was something cracked open and raw about her in this moment, something real.

“I should be really fucking pissed off at you,” she said. 

“Are you?”

She pulled her eyes away from the castle to look at him. “I should be,” she said again. She took a few steps closer to him, so that Penny thought for a minute she was going to slap him. Instead she reached up and dragged him down, crushing her lips against his.

***

Kady let her head drop onto the stack of papers on her counter with a groan. She was getting nowhere.

She’d cross-referenced everything she could find about Julia Wicker’s background with what she remembered from the Reynard case file and come up with exactly nothing. If they’d ever been in the same place at the same time, there was no evidence for it. Reynard didn’t have much to do with New York, and as far as Kady could tell, Julia had never left the city except for the years she spent at Brakebills and maybe a short time after. She had regular, non magical parents, a non-magical sister, even the only relationship she could find on her sparsely-updated social media was with some boring lawyer. She did have other friends, Brakebills grads, but none of them were very interesting either, at least not to an ordinary search. And ordinary was the only type of searching Kady could do, because when she’d tried to look these people up in the Index, most of them were also blacked out.

They were obviously the link back to Reynard. But that was useless if Kady couldn’t figure out what the link _was_.

She picked up her cell phone and tapped out a text to Penny. _Find out what she did the year after Brakebills._

Penny had not responded to her last five texts, even the funny ones. She could hope that meant he was making progress with Julia, but she suspected the progress he was making wouldn’t be the helpful kind. 

“You better stick to our deal,” she muttered, and threw the phone back down.

***

“Just to be clear,” Julia said, because this point felt very important, something that shouldn’t be lost to the romance of the moment. “I _am_ pissed off at you.”

“I get that,” Penny said. He kept smiling, though. He hadn’t stopped since she’d kissed him the first time.

They were sitting on the raised roots of one of the Clock Trees, still looking down at the valley with the castle below. Julia had dragged him over here, after she’d gained enough control of herself to pull away from kissing him, pushing him down against the tree and tucking herself under his arm instead. It had felt like a compromise, because she ought to be thinking about this whole situation rationally. Just because they were in one of the most magical and romantic spots she’d ever known, one that touched a very old and buried part of Julia’s psyche; just because Penny had brought her here, revealing himself in a way she thought might have surprised them both; just because she was in _Fillory_ , of all places, and yet instead of panicking she felt lighter than she had in a long time - none of that meant she needed to lose her head and throw herself on him. 

He’d kissed her again, though, after they sat down, a few little kisses along her jaw and then longer ones for her lips, with more heat behind them but still careful, like he was testing her limits, and Julia couldn’t bring herself to mind that at all.

_Blame the opium_ , she thought, something Eliot had always said when one of them made a bad choice. This didn’t feel like one of those moments, though.

She forced herself to focus on the little trickle of anger still alive between her drug and romance-addled mood. “I thought you were going to Travel us to the Fillorian district in New York,” she said. “I was prepared for that.”

“Yeah, about that?” She twisted to look at him, which was a bad idea. It was easier to hold on to the angry part of her brain when she was facing away from him, and only had to deal with the heat of his body all against her back. “You didn’t seem shocked by the experience of Traveling.”

“I have a friend who’s a Traveler. How do you think we got here the first time?”

There were a million questions in Penny’s eyes, but he didn’t ask any of them, which was a relief. She had no idea how she would have answered, or if she even wanted to. There was something fragile about this moment, some understanding between them, and she didn’t want to disturb it. 

“You can’t do that again,” she said, seriously. “Taking me somewhere like that, without saying where, without letting me decide.” Less happy memories stirred, but they were easy, right now, to push away. “I don’t like it.”

“I’m sorry.” He looked like he meant it.

She rewarded them both with another, softer kiss. “And I believe you, which is why I’m going to trust you not to do it again. And thank you, for trusting me.”

Penny’s hands slid down her back, shifting her on his knee, mouth dipping down over hers; she went with it, letting them fit together. This time he was the one who stopped after a moment. Julia rested her head on his shoulder, his chin on her hair as they looked down at Whitespire. 

“Tell me about it?” he asked. “Whatever you want to tell. If you want to tell me anything.”

Julia was quiet, but for once she wasn’t thinking about the secrets she needed to keep or the memories she didn’t want to share. They were all there, floating through her head, but none of them pulled her attention or agitated her. She closed her eyes, breathing him in. “Did you ever read the books about Fillory?” she asked.

“Someone wrote books about this insane place?”

She laughed, hitting him lightly on the arm. “God, my best friend is going to hate you. But yes. There are books. I read them a million times when I was a kid. I read all the fantasy series, but those were my favorites. Q and I used to make plans to come here, and I mean serious plans. I had a strategy to find a portal, and I didn’t even know magic was real then.”

“Is that why you study portal magic?”

She paused. “You know, I never thought of that? But maybe. Quentin was always talking about running away to other worlds, but I never saw it that way. I wanted to run _to_ someplace. I wanted to be the one in the books, having the adventures and going on quests and saving the world. I was one of those really obnoxious kids, only instead of wanting to be president, I wanted to be the Queen of my own fantasy land.” 

For once, thinking about the Julia who’d wanted to be a queen and actually achieved it didn’t make her heart twist. 

“Guess it didn’t work out like you planned?” he asked.

“Well, closer than you’d imagine, but no. Fillory didn’t turn out like I expected.” She traced her fingers over one of his hands, running a light touch across his tattoos. Distantly, she berated herself for not recognizing them, but they didn’t look like much without the magic lighting them up.

“The bad stuff came later, and sort of overwhelmed it all. Until tonight, I’d forgotten all about the day we got here. What it felt like to stand in this spot and see this whole world opening up in front of me. All those dreams. And what it felt like to be _that_ Julia, who thought anything could happen and just wanted to be sure she was the one to do it all.” She curled her hands around his. “And now you’ve reminded me.”

“I’m glad,” he said. Julia closed her eyes. After a moment, he added, “The first time I Traveled, I was terrified. I had no idea what was happening. And it got me in more trouble than seemed worth it. But lately… I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about how I can go anywhere in the universe. Nothing to stop me. Think little Julia would approve?”

She laughed against his shoulder. “Little Julia would be so excited to meet you.” 

“And this one?”

“Corny,” she muttered, but she was still smiling. “Yeah, this one thinks maybe making a dating profile wasn’t the worst idea.”

***

Kady started awake to the feel of a heavy hand on her shoulder. “Hmrph, wha - Penny?” She pushed herself up, groaning at the ache in her neck and shoulders from sleeping with her head on the kitchen island. It was amazing she hadn’t fallen right off the stool onto the floor. “What time is it?”

Penny was fuzzy in her blurred, just-awake vision. “It’s two a.m.”

“Oh. Why are you here?” She stood up, making a vague effort to shuffle her stack of notes into some kind of order, then gave up. “Finally finished your date?”

“Sticking to the rules,” he said.

“Such a sacrifice.” She yawned. “Doesn’t explain why you came here instead of your own place.”

He shrugged. Kady was finally awake enough to see him, and to catch the soft smile on his face. It made something odd flutter in her chest. “You sent me a million weird texts,” he said. “Just checking in.”

Kady smiled, remembering some of those texts, but the smile was swallowed by another yawn. “Sorry.”

Penny’s hand was back on her shoulder, pushing her towards the stairs. “Go to sleep,” he said. “I’m going to crash on the couch, if that’s okay.”

“Fine by me. Or you could come upstairs.”

She probably imagined the hesitation before he said, “Couch is fine.”

“It’s your back,” she said. Halfway up the stairs, still thinking of the texts, she remembered. “Oh, hey,” she said, hanging over the railing to see him in the kitchen, cleaning up her work. “Did you ask her about the year after Brakebills?”

He had his back to her, so she couldn’t read his face, but she saw the way his shoulders stiffened. “I got a little,” he said. “Nothing important. Don’t worry, we have time.”

Kady sighed, turning back to her bedroom. Clearly she was going to have to do all the work on Julia herself.

***

Eliot answered the door in a barely-tied silk robe, his curly hair sticking up in every direction and smudges of last night’s eyeliner under his eyes. “Julia,” he said dryly. “How exciting to see you at nine a.m. On a Saturday.” 

“In my defense, I brought breakfast.” She held up a large bag. “Bagels, lox, juice.” 

He eyed the bag. “You didn’t cook anything in that, did you? I have plans for this weekend and food poisoning isn’t one of them.”

“All store bought.”

“Fine.” He opened the door further. “You can come in.”

Julia paused in the doorway, like she always did when entering Eliot, Quentin and Margo’s apartment. Like every place Eliot and Margo had lived since Brakebills, the apartment had been enlarged with a series of planar compression spells, so that what should have been a modest two-bedroom was instead a sprawling series of rooms, half of them impractical and in constant rotation. The last time she had been there, the door at the end of the hall had led to a swimming pool, though when she glanced that way now she saw the piano room Quentin mentioned had replaced it. Julia checked that the kitchen was still off to the left of the door, though now a completely different shape, and followed Eliot there. The new kitchen was more open, flowing into the dining and living rooms, both of which had French doors. One looked out on a view of the Himalayas from a hundred feet up; the other showed an empty tropical beach with white sand and deep blue water.

“That’s nice,” she commented as she laid out the breakfast and Eliot made coffee. 

“A compromise,” he explained. “Margo wanted the standing portal to be underwater, but the amount of magic it would take to keep from flooding the whole apartment would be prohibitive. Even with Fogg’s connections, I don’t want to risk the Library questioning how much we draw on the Wellspring. We’ve all had enough of their attention.”

He sounded disappointed, and Julia knew that wasn’t just because it would have been really cool to have a living room that looked out at the bottom of the ocean. The portal spells that surrounded each entrance of the apartment - plus the ones in the closets that led to Brakebills, the McAllister Corporation, and Quentin’s bookshop - were built with the protocols the two of them had worked out back during their school days. That was when Julia had really started to consider Eliot a friend and not just “Quentin’s El.”.

“How is Henry?” she asked. 

“Supposedly getting ready to retire soon, if Pearl has her say. She’s been chomping at the bit to be Dean for years.” He gave her a slantwise look. “You should come by and say hello some time. Henry would love to see you.”

“Hmm.” Julia let that one go. “And when Sunderland becomes Dean, will you get the assistant job?”

“Unfortunately.” His expression didn’t match the words. “Can you imagine me shaping the minds of the next generation of magicians?”

“I can’t think of anyone better.”

He smiled, briefly letting her see he was pleased, before changing the subject. “Champagne?” He pulled the bottle out of her bag. “What are we celebrating? Maybe last night’s date?” He looked up as Quentin shuffled into the kitchen, shirtless and even more bedraggled than his husband. “Q, it looks like Julia had a fun night.”

Q bumped into Eliot’s shoulder on his way to the coffee machine; accidentally, it looked like, but then he stayed there, head against the taller man’s shoulder. “Jules,” he said, sounding confused. “When did you get here?” 

So much for Quentin’s claim to have become a morning person. “I’m not sure I had as much fun as the two of you did last night,” Julia said. “Let’s get some coffee in you, or do we need to wait for Margo?”

“She didn’t come in with us last night.” Eliot glanced down at Quentin, who shook his head, hair falling all over his face. 

“I checked her room.”

“Huh. Well, fun nights all around, then.”

They set out the food on the temperature-warded balcony, Julia closing her eyes against the dizzying drop to the mountains below. Eliot made mimosas, and he and Quentin downed three each while Julia stayed focused on her morning caffeine intake. Despite the early hour, she was wide awake, and surprised herself by telling her friends about her date - even how it had ended.

“It’s ridiculous,” she said when she finished the story. “I realize you can’t get to know someone on just two dates but I feel good about this. Is that silly?”

Eliot and Quentin exchanged a look. They had both gone still when she told them about Penny’s Traveling, and absolutely frozen when she mentioned Fillory. “It sounds like you got close to him,” Quentin finally said, in a careful tone. “So maybe not a typical second date?”

“No.” Julia stared down into her coffee, embarrassed in front of them by how much she couldn’t stop smiling. “I liked him anyway,” she said. “He’s funny and interesting and sweet. And, well - “

“We’ve seen his profile picture,” Eliot said, cutting an amused look at Quentin. “Q was impressed.” Quentin turned bright red.

“Hands off,” Julia teased. “But - taking me to Fillory like that. I would never have asked him to do that, and I’m still a little angry about it, but I also feel like… like he saw something in me and reacted to it. Like he woke me up. Reminded me of the good parts, like closure or something. The beginning of it, anyway.”

When she glanced up again, Quentin was staring at her the way he did at videos of small animals, so misty that she had to look away out of embarrassment. Eliot, at least, didn’t look like he was about to start crying, though there was more showing in his eyes than he usually allowed. “It sounds like you already have a winner before the race even starts,” he said, playing off the moment.

“Race?” 

“Don’t you have another date tonight?”

“Oh. That.” Julia scowled. “That’s a one-time thing and it doesn’t count.”

“Are you so sure?”

Quentin sat up, pushing his hair out of his face and answering before she could. “Of course she’s sure. Why would she want to give up a great guy who gets her this well after two dates for someone who wouldn’t leave her alone and blackmailed her?” He sounded enraged on her behalf.

“Calm down, I didn’t say she should.” Eliot topped off his and Quentin’s drinks. “I just wondered, if she’s so happy with this Penny, why she’s even going through with the second date.”

“She has no choice.”

“Hmm. Is that the only reason, Julia?”

“What else would there be?” But Julia knew she sounded unsure. Every time she thought about her arrangement with Kady, she wondered why she hadn’t been able to find a way around it. She was supposed to be smart! But Kady had just looked at her with those provocative eyes and teasing smile and Julia had forgotten how to be clever. 

Eliot shrugged. “Did you tell Penny about her?” 

“No.” Julia winced. “It’s not a big deal,” she said defensively. “We’ve only been on two dates and this thing with Kady is just an aberration. After tonight I won’t ever have to think about her again.”

“Glad to hear it.” Eliot sat up, draining his glass and pulling out his cigarettes. “Because it would be too bad if you used this Kady person as an excuse to screw up something good just because it scares you to catch feelings so quickly.” He smiled wryly. “Not that either of us are experts on that. It took us two years to get past the just friends and then the just-friends-who-fuck stages.”

Quentin twisted around to give him a soft smile. “I knew after a week,” he murmured. 

Eliot smiled back at him and Julia… Sometimes she thought the reason she hadn’t dated since James was because of Quentin and Eliot. Seeing two people who fit together like that, who made each other better just by being together, should have been inspiring, but instead there had always been low-key dread in her at the thought of someone seeing her as totally as they saw each other and still wanting to stick around. If that’s what it took to be happy, how could she stand it? It was somehow even worse when Margo was there, because she wasn’t even nice about seeing the messier parts of “her boys,” and yet they loved her for it.

Quentin pulled his eyes away from his husband’s and reached across the table to take her hand. “Let this work, okay Jules?” he said.

Julia forced herself to smile, and to mean it. “I plan to.”


	10. Chapter 10

“I don’t actually know that much about Fillory,” Alice said, blunt fingernails tapping on her desk. “There are people who could give you more useful information. Or, you know, you could try a book. Since we work in the biggest library in the universe and all.” 

Penny shifted in his seat across from her desk - as the most junior Librarian, Alice got the least comfortable furniture for her office - and tried to act relaxed and natural. Just a normal guy, paying a normal visit to his ex to pump her for information in a way that couldn’t be picked up by the tracking spells on the books. “I’m not really sure what I’m looking for at this point, so I wouldn’t know where to start. And you worked on the negotiations for the new portal. Just give me some general information.” He put a little pleading into his voice. “I know you read every book on the place before you started that project.”

“Hardly. That would take more than a few lifetimes.” But by the flush on her cheeks, the flattery had worked. Alice did enjoy knowing more than other people. “It’s the world the Wellspring comes from, and it used to have its own god. Ember. He wasn’t one of the more impressive gods, but that’s still something.”

“Right.” Penny nodded. “What about more, uh, recent history? Current events, that kind of thing.”

Alice hesitated. “The Library hasn’t paid much attention to Fillory in recent years.”

“Hasn’t paid attention to the world where all magic comes from? Seems like an oversight.”

“After they laid the pipelines fifty years ago and diverted the Wellspring to the Neitherlands, Fillory was less important. And there was a situation there.” She looked uncomfortable. “A ruler who wasn’t too fond of the Library and found gruesome ways to demonstrate that. The previous Director decided it was better to cut the place off. So they closed the portals down and locked the fountain. A lot of refugees left before they finished and settled on other worlds, and once it was locked down it was impossible to go back. Except for Travelers, of course. The Library has relied on you for our rare trips back.”

Penny tried to project innocence, but he knew he was on borrowed time. Alice was not going to keep talking about this for long without demanding to know where his interest lay.

Too bad he barely knew the answer to that question, other than that Julia had spent time in Fillory and was now working on the new portal, and that Kady was interested in where she’d been the year after she graduated from Brakebills. “But they’re opening it up now.”

“Martin Chatwin, the ruler who objected so much to the Library’s presence, was overthrown a few years ago. It seems safe now, and there was a petition from the Fillorians United Council. Since the refugees settled mostly on Earth, giving them a portal there rather than opening the fountain to general use was seen as a compromise.”

“Right.” Penny tried to think of a way to ask exactly when the coup had occurred, but couldn’t come up with a reason. “It’s weird that the Library didn’t try to deal with this Chatwin guy themselves, instead of leaving the natives to it. Since the Wellspring is so important.”

“The Library can’t pay attention to every crisis on every world.” But he recognized the look on her face, the frustration he’d seen before on the rare occasions when Alice didn’t understand something. “Supposedly there was concern about Ember. He had specific rules about Fillory and who could hold power there. Until recently all the rulers of the main country on the planet came from Earth.”

“Until recently?”

“The last Earth-born rulers of Fillory formally signed over power to the native population five years ago. The current High King is Abigail the Slow.” Off Penny’s confused expression, she clarified, “It’s not an insult. She’s a sloth.”

“Huh.” That was fucking weird, but Penny was more interested in “five years ago.” “Well, that’s helpful,” he said, standing up. “Thanks Alice. I appreciate it.”

“Of course. Penny,” she said. “Is your interest in Fillory personal?”

“Yeah,” he said, because she’d see through anything else. “I’ve just been thinking, since my contract is going to be up soon and I can go wherever I want, maybe I’d try some off-world places.”

“Please don’t ask me to let my daughter live part-time in a world with no running water.”

He laughed. “I was thinking more of a vacation.”

She smiled. “That would be nice. Charlie would love that.”

Penny thought about it for a minute, taking his daughter to see that view of Whitespire, maybe with someone to go with them - 

Okay, he was getting ahead of himself.

“Thanks again,” he said.

He was almost out the door when she said, “You know, it’s interesting. Kady also had questions about the Fillory portal project.”

“Oh, yeah?” Penny rubbed his neck, wondering how to get out of this conversation. “I don’t know why she was interested.” 

He really should have coordinated his story with Kady before coming here. But when he’d woken up on her couch at noon, stiff and feeling awkward despite some very nice dreams, he’d realized he didn’t want to talk to her about Julia. Not until he was sure what he wanted to say. The plan they’d laid out to share information hadn’t felt so great once he actually had something. So instead he’d Traveled to Kady’s favorite coffee shop, left her expresso waiting under a heating spell on the kitchen island, and come straight to the Library before she woke up, hoping that Alice would reassure him that nothing Julia could have done in Fillory had anything to do with Reynard.

Instead she’d just left him with more questions.

Alice gave him a surprised look - or, at least, the look of someone who wanted him to think she was surprised. Alice had never been a very good actor. “Oh, I know what she was looking for,” she said. “She’s interested in a woman who is working on the project.”

“Oh, yeah? Well, I should - “

“She claimed it was for work, but it sounded more like a personal thing.” Alice looked at him like that should hold significance. “You know how Kady gets when she’s got a crush.”

Penny laughed, but it came out sounding awkward. “I wouldn’t say crush. She mentioned she was looking into someone for a case.”

“Sure, but I didn’t think her interest was very professional at all.” Again Alice looked like she was expecting some kind of reaction. “Let’s just say I would expect that investigation to involve some private time with the suspect.”

“Huh. Well, uh, okay. Thanks Alice.”

“You’re welcome.” He thought she looked disappointed, or maybe exasperated, when he closed the door behind him.

_Private time with the suspect._ Kady was going to be spending private time with Julia, but that was just a ruse to get information out of her. Kady wasn’t interested in her.

He wondered why that didn’t sound any more convincing in his head than it had with Alice.

***

The address Kady had texted to her - no context, no explanation of what they would be doing or suggestions for how Julia should dress, and the place had not produced any results on Google - turned out to be a bar. It was small and grimy looking, the neon lights faded and the windows dirty. A few people huddled over cigarettes on the street outside, but there was no line to get in and no music or voices that she could hear from the street. It had been a while since the last time Julia went out for a Saturday night, but she didn’t think that could be a good sign.

She glanced down at her short dress and heels. Eliot had helped her pick out the outfit after brunch that morning while Quentin slept off his mimosas on the couch, stealing the blue dress with its leather accents from Margo’s closet and rattling off the shoes and jewelry she should accessorize with like he’d memorized the contents of her closet. It was the first time that she could ever remember Eliot’s fashion sense failing her. 

She dug her phone out of her purse and texted him. _I’m overdressed._

The answer came back almost immediately. _Make it work for you._

“Right,” Julia said out loud, winning a startled look from one of the smokers on the corner. She gave the woman a glare that had her turning away quickly, eager to show that she was minding her own business. Julia held her head up as she walked to the door. Since Kady hadn’t bothered to tell her what they were doing for the night, she also hadn’t said anything about where they should meet, and getting the lay of the place would give her an advantage. 

As soon as she stepped over the threshold, she was assaulted with screeching music and the heat of too many people crowded into a tiny space. Apparently this unnamed bar wasn’t empty after all; it just had amazing soundproofing.

_Or wards_ , she thought, with a sneaking suspicion.

It took a while to force her way through the crowd to the bar. No one was dancing, but there were a lot of people on their feet, groups of friends breaking up and reforming across the floor as they greeted each other, huddling together to talk enthusiastically over their drinks. A few of them gave her suspicious looks as she wove her way around them with half-hearted apologies for the feet she stepped on, but most didn’t see her at all. She was overheated and bruised by the time she made it to the bar.

“Vodka martini,” she said to the bartender.

He gave her a careful once over, which Julia shut down with a look, then turned to make her drink. When he was finished, he slid it across the bar and Julia grabbed for the glass, barely restraining herself from tossing down the whole thing in one gulp. “Thanks,” she said, pulling herself up onto a stool.

“You alone here tonight?”

Either he was the protective type who was going to give a speech about a girl like her in a place like this, as though Julia couldn’t put down every person in here with a few twists of her fingers, or he was hitting on her. “No,” she said. “I’m meeting someone. A woman named Kady. Do you know her?” It figured that this would be Kady’s neighborhood bar. It seemed like the kind of place a blackmailer with no sense of boundaries would frequent.

“I know Kady,” he said. “What’s your business with her?”

“We’re having a drink.”

“Uh-huh.” The bartender set aside the towel he’d been using to wipe down the counter and leaned across the bar, weight resting on his arms. His sleeves were rolled up and - yep, the tattoos were unmistakable. “I’d like a little more information than that.”

Julia sat up slowly. “I don’t see why it’s any of your business,” she said. If she had to fling some battle magic to protect herself and broke her nine-day streak, she was going to kill Kady. 

“Place like this, we don’t get a lot of strangers,” the guy started to say, but before he could get any further, an arm was slung over Julia’s shoulders, nearly knocking her from her stool. She barely refrained from throwing a punch, glaring up at Kady, who had suddenly appeared beside her.

“Don’t worry, Rick, she’s with me.” Kady gave her a wide grin. “Hey there, Julia.”

“Hi.” Julia maneuvered herself out from under Kady’s arm. 

Kady looked more amused than insulted. “Can I buy you a drink?”

Julia drained her glass. “You can pay for this one,” she said. 

“Okay.” Kady tossed some money across the counter and muttered, “club soda” - Julia raised her eyebrows at that, but didn’t comment - then turned her attention back to Julia. “Sorry about Rick, he takes security around here seriously. So you found the place?”

“Would have helped to know where I was going.” 

Kady shrugged, taking her drink from the bartender and sipping it. “I thought maybe you’d recognize the address.” She swept her eyes over Julia in that irritatingly direct way that set Julia’s teeth on edge. “Guess it’s not really your style, though.”

It clearly was Kady’s. She looked like she belonged in this place, her blazer and T-shirt replaced with a black top that slid off one shoulder, exposing smooth pale skin, and tight jeans tucked into chunky boots. Her hair was messier than it had been the other day, her eye makeup heavier. 

There was a challenge there that Julia suspected had to do with more than her overdressing for the bar. “Not my neighborhood,” she said dryly.

“Yeah.” Kady drained her glass and set it down, then held out her hand. “Come on, let’s mingle.”

They were going to hang out with other people on their date? For a minute, Julia was relieved, but the relief faded as Kady drew her through the bar. Now that she was paying closer attention, it was clear that the conversations around her weren’t about sports or jobs or politics, that these people were doing more than just talking with their hands, that several were huddled over binders full of familiar writing…

She caught up with Kady, tugging her hand to slow her down. “What is this place?” she asked, raising her voice over the music.

Kady turned, an amused curl to her lips. “A bar,” she said.

But Julia could feel it now. The magic was weak, nothing like it would be in the places she was used to, but she knew that sensation against her skin. “A hedge bar,” she said, accusingly.

“Do you have a problem with hedges?”

“Of course not.” But she had a problem with the conversations she could hear around her, those glimpses of sigils and spells out of the corner of her eyes, the looks she could tell they were getting. “You should have told me we were coming here.”

Kady’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“Because, I - “ There was sweat trickling down the back of her neck. Whatever they were using magic for in this bar, besides the sound-proofing, it sure as hell wasn’t ventilation. “I need some air,” she said, and brushed past Kady in the direction of the door.

On the street outside, she fumbled for her cigarettes, snapping her lighter irritably. It had started to rain, just a faint drizzle that barely mattered except the stupid flame wouldn’t catch. She jumped, again, when Kady reached over her shoulder. 

“Need some help with that?” Kady raised a hand, her fingers curled to snap out a spell. 

“I’m fine,” Julia said, irritably, and turned her back to the other woman, hunching over and finally getting the cigarette to light. She sucked in some smoke, then turned back to see Kady watching her with a tight expression. “What?”

“It’s a fire spell,” Kady said. “Even we hedges can manage that.”

“Obviously. I just didn’t need the help.” She took another drag. The rain felt amazing on her overheated skin.

“Sure.” Kady folded her arms, leaning back on the wall. There were still a few other people out here, none of them very far away, but she didn’t bother to lower her voice. “And what’s your excuse for hating the bar? Would you prefer somewhere uptown, or, oh, I know, what’s that place over in Brooklyn that you classical magicians hang out at? Would that be more your speed?” 

“Don’t be ridiculous. I just didn’t know we were going to be at a place like this. I wasn’t prepared.” She could still feel the magic. It had been all stupid little spells, the kind her friends did a hundred times a day. Even Quentin wouldn’t have been impressed. Even _James_ wouldn’t have been.

“This is what I get for asking out a girl who works at the freaking McAllister Corporation,” Kady muttered.

Julia gave her an incredulous look. “Are you seriously complaining about my attitude on a date you _blackmailed_ me into?” she asked. A few of the bar patrons hanging around eyed them nervously. 

Kady shook her head, anger tightening her face. “You classical magicians are all the same,” she said. “Too good for the rest of us, right?”

“Oh fuck that.” Julia finished her cigarette and tossed it to the ground, stubbing it out with her heel. “You know nothing about me. Don’t think you can judge me.”

“I know you turned up your nose at the kind of place that welcomes magicians like me,” Kady said. “I know you live in New York and didn’t recognize the address of one of the most important and historic hedge bars in the city, which says a lot about how you view your place in this community. Oh, and I know you litter.” She snapped her fingers, the cigarette butt under Julia’s shoe going up in flame.

Julia rolled her eyes. “Yep, I’m a terrible person. You got me.” She shifted her purse on her shoulder, folding her arms tightly. “So how about we call it a night? We’re clearly not as compatible as you hoped.”

“Sure isn’t my loss,” Kady muttered.

“Great. Have a good night.” Julia turned and stalked off, anger propelling her down the street. How dare some barely-trained hedge with an inflated ego judge her life? How dare Kady accuse her of being a snob just because she didn’t want to hang out in some dirty bar she’d never heard of? Where did Kady get off having any opinions at all about their night, when the whole thing was her fa - 

Julia turned the corner and froze. _Oh no. Oh fuck no._

They were coming down the narrow street right towards her, hand in hand, actually swinging their arms between them like they were about to break out skipping, James in a preppy sweater with his hair slightly tousled and Fen draped in a bizarre combination of what looked like a hundred colorful scarves, her hair in princess curls and her smile so wide that people turned to stare. Julia could hear her bright, chirping voice over the rain and ambient city noise; James was beaming at her and then they were turning - 

Julia flung herself back around the corner. 

The hedge bar was on a narrow street without much else on it that was open this late. It was possible they weren’t going to turn down this way, that they were going to just continue along the street and right out of her life, but that wasn’t the kind of luck Julia had, was it? James had always had a taste for slumming and Fen - who the hell knew what a Fillorian would do? They were all insane.

She pushed down the memory of opium-scented breezes and the gleam of moonlight on Whitespire’s towers, the feel of Penny’s arms around her. Dammit, but she wished he was here, if only because then she wouldn’t be about to be humiliated by her ex for the second time in barely a week. Penny would impress James. James would see Julia with someone like that, and he would stop pitying her or talking to Quentin and Josh about how sad her life was or - 

She caught sight of a head of curly hair, back down by the bar, and had a terrible, terrible idea.

_No_ , she thought. _One humiliation will not save you from another._

She could hear Fen’s bubbly voice coming closer.

_But after tonight, it won’t matter,_ she thought. _You’re never going to escape James, always there, feeling sad because you lie about your relationships and you wander shady bar areas alone on a Saturday night. Fen is going to be your damn co-worker and she’ll probably tell all the others about this. But Kady… after tonight, you don’t ever have to see Kady again._

She pushed off the wall and headed back to the bar, refraining from running.

Kady had a hand on the door to go back inside when Julia caught up with her. “Hey,” she said, and then wasn’t sure how to follow up on that. “Listen, um, about earlier - “

“Don’t worry about it.” Kady’s voice was brusque and cold, none of the obnoxious charm showing. 

“No, I was rude, and I should have - uh - “ She risked a look over her shoulder, and sure enough, they were coming right to this bar. “I need your help,” Julia blurted out. “My ex is here and I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend.”

There was something deeply gratifying about the shock that went through Kady’s eyes. She stared at Julia, without a quip or a smirk for a change, and then slowly looked over her shoulder. “The guy or the girl?” she asked finally.

“The guy.” Julia closed her eyes, glad at least that it was too dark for Kady to see how red she was. “And I know this is an unfair thing to ask, and you probably hate me at this point - and honestly, right back at you, but - “

“Okay.”

Julia opened her eyes. “What?”

Kady gave her an opaque look. “Okay,” she said, and wrapped her arm around Julia again. This time her hand slipped down to curve over Julia’s hip. “Girlfriends.”

“Oh. Um, great. Thank you.” She should probably object to the near-groping, but it was for verisimilitude, so… “Alright, so we just need to say hi to them, maybe walk to the end of the street and then - “

“I have a better plan.” Julia turned and the other woman’s face was inches away, dark red lips curved, close enough so that Julia could see the green of her eyes. “And I am very good at plans,” she said, her hand coming up to cup Julia’s cheek and pull her in.

Kady was a…a good kisser. Julia was willing to give her that. She’d kissed a lot of girls, like, _a lot_ , back in the day, and Kady was definitely top ten. Maybe top five. Her fingers curled into Julia’s hair, tugging lightly, and Julia went with it, up on her toes with the taller woman’s arm tight around her waist. Kady took control of the kiss, and then maybe Julia lost track of time, just for a minute, everything blissful and calm in her head. Maybe a top three kiss.

“Julia? Is that you?”

Julia pulled back from the kiss to find her arm had somehow wound around Kady’s waist and her free hand was on the other woman’s neck. She blinked up at Kady’s too-close face, then turned to see James and Fen staring at them. Fen’s eyes were bright and friendly. James looked bewildered.

“James. And Fen. Hey! ” What was wrong with her voice? She cleared her throat and made herself relax. “James, Fen, hi. This is Kady.” She still had her arm around Kady’s waist, but there didn’t seem to be any smooth way to extract it, so she left it there. “Kady, she is my, um, well, she’s - “

“I’m Julia’s girlfriend.” Kady arm’s wound tighter around Julia, which seemed like an unnecessary part of the act considering James probably couldn’t see that. But it didn’t feel terrible, either. “I’ve heard a lot about you guys.”

“Really?” James looked between them. “Julia, this is the person you were talking about when we met the other day?”

“Mhmm. Yep. This is Kady. Who I met for breakfast. Remember, Kady? When we met at the Stonery the other day?”

Kady had a look of absolute delight on her face. “Oh, I remember the Stonery,” she said, and Julia knew she was being teased, but Kady also managed to make it sound like they’d had sex on the counter or something. Julia was sure she was blushing again.

“You guys are such a cute couple!” Fen, of course. 

“Thank you,” Kady said, a little too earnestly - Julia resisted the urge to kick her. “You know how it is, in the beginning of a relationship? When you just can’t keep your hands off each other?” She laughed and squeezed Julia against her again, and Julia also laughed, though it didn’t come out sounding quite as natural as Kady’s laugh. “Julia is incredible. How did I get this lucky, right? A woman this smart, _and_ this beautiful? I knew from the moment I saw her buying the biggest coffee I’ve ever seen that it was true love. Even though she rejected me when I tried to pay for it.”

“You were pushy,” Julia grumbled.

“I know, but I just couldn’t resist. I mean, who could let a girl like this walk away, am I right?” She shook her head, like the miracle of it all was just too much to think about. Julia narrowed her eyes, wondering if this was some kind of sabotage or if Kady was just a terrible actor.

If so, it certainly wasn’t a problem for Fen. “That’s so sweet,” she said. She turned to Julia, clearly expecting a response.

“Uh, yeah, Kady is… amazing,” Julia said. “She’s just, just great.” She could feel Kady’s eyes on her. “She’s been introducing me to her favorite place,” she said, waving towards the bar. “It’s been eye-opening.”

Luckily, the bar was even more interesting to Fen than Kady and Julia’s relationship. “We’re coming to see the band tonight,” she said, tugging on James’s arm. “We really should get going. But it was so nice to meet you, Kady!”

“You too,” Kady said.

“I’m really happy for you, Julia,” James said. And, oh god, there was that sincerity again, he actually meant it, this had been a terrible idea…

“Thanks,” she muttered.

And then they were gone, and Julia and Kady were left alone on the street, in the rain, and still tangled up in each other.

“You could let go now,” Julia said.

“Of my amazing, brilliant, beautiful girlfriend? Why would I want to do that?”

Julia looked up and found Kady watching her with a wide grin on her face. “Shut up,” she said.

“But we’re so in loooove.” Kady hugged her against her side, laughing into her hair. Julia pushed at her, knocking the other woman away, but she was starting to laugh now too. “Seriously, we are the poster children for new romance. We’re inspiring.”

“Oh, my god, that’s enough.” Julia pulled away, giggling, and wiped at her eyes. “I can’t believe you told them we couldn’t keep our hands off each other.”

“Well,” Kady said, “you were certainly clinging on when they first saw us.”

And abruptly Julia remembered that just a few minutes ago, she’d been entwined around this woman, kissing her, hands in her hair, right in the middle of the street. “It’s important to get the act right,” she said.

“Of course,” Kady said, and then she was laughing again and Julia couldn’t help joining in.

“Do you want to get out of here?” Kady asked when they’d calmed down. “I’m hungry. How do you feel about late night diner food?”

The night had started out such a disaster that Julia thought she should probably quit while she was ahead, but Kady’s smile was infectious and Julia hadn’t laughed like that in a while. And, she realized, she was starving.

“Diner food sounds perfect,” she said.

***

The Library’s Agents worked out of Larkin Hall, the main building on the fifth ring of the Neitherlands. Few of them were ever actually there, since their jobs involved traveling off-world to track down magical items and rogue magicians, but they each had a desk in the open area at the center of the second floor. Penny’s and Kady’s were together, and beside them were the desks that belonged to Marina and Pete, the two hedgewitches from Kady’s old coven who had been recruited along with her. 

It was rare for magicians who didn’t have some special skill, like Penny’s Traveling, to be recruited as Agents in place of being Marked after a crime, and unheard of for three to be given the chance all at once. In Kady’s case, the official story was that she’d been selected because of her facility for battle magic, though Penny suspected it was Kady’s strong sense of justice that had actually appealed to the Director. For all her complaining about the Library, Kady was relentless when it came to protecting people. Marina was a genius, of a different sort than Alice; after a very short time in the field, she’d been promoted to coordinate missions and was one of the most successful at that job that the Library had ever had. Pete, on the other hand, was an average magician with no special skills, and it had taken Penny a long time to figure out why the Library bothered with him. But Pete was extremely well-connected, especially among the kinds of people who tried to say off the Library’s radar, and those connections had worked in Penny’s favor more than once.

Unfortunately, Pete was not at his desk when Penny went looking for him. Penny scribbled a note for the other magician and left it on his desk, then blew out a breath in frustration, looking around the mostly deserted workspace. It was possible that the guy had just gone to the bathroom or to get a drink, but chances were good that he wasn’t in the Neitherlands at all, either off on mission or back home in New York, and wouldn’t return for days. And Penny had no idea where “home” was for Pete. He didn’t socialize much with the other agents, except for Kady.

Not that he would have gone to Pete’s house to ask for this favor even if he had known where it was. It was one thing to ask a colleague if he happened to have a connection in one of the city’s most prominent hedge bars who might be willing to report on how Julia and Kady’s date was going. It would be shady as fuck to show up at the guy’s house for that.

_It’s shady anyway,_ he reminded himself. _It’s not a real date, it’s a mission, and Kady will tell you everything that happens._

_Like you told her about Fillory?_

With a sigh, he turned to leave - and nearly yelled when he found Marina standing inches away, her freakishly blue eyes fixed on him.

“Relax, Penny,” she drawled. “You seem a little tense. Feeling lonely without your partner around?”

“No,” Penny said. “Marina, why are you always so creepy?”

“Because it’s fun.” The other Agent stepped away to perch on the edge of her own desk, crossing her legs. Every other Agent of the Library wore grey suits in imitation of the Librarians, but Marina somehow got away with black leather . “So where is Kady?” she asked. “Already off on her date?”

“None of your - “ Penny’s brain caught up to what she was saying and almost asked. Too late, he realized that was what she wanted and bit back the question, fixing her with a blank look. “Jealous?” he asked.

“Hardly. What Kady and I have isn’t going to be threatened by her latest fling.” Penny refrained from rolling his eyes. What Kady and Marina had, as far as Kady had ever informed him, was a benefits-without-the-friends relationship that went back to their coven days and, in his opinion, was more than a little unhealthy. Marina claimed they _were_ friends, but her definition of friendship was skewed. “I was just surprised that she seemed so excited about this one,” Marina went on. “She even asked me for fashion advice.”

That was either a lie or a truth that Marina had twisted way out of context. “That’s nice.”

“I thought so.” Marina tilted her head down, looking up at him from beneath her reddish-brown hair. On a normal person, the look might have been shy; Marina just looked like some kind of dangerous animal, a large cat preparing to pounce. “I was pleased to see her so excited,” she said. “You’re all going to be free of your contracts soon and you’ll have to build lives away from this place. I’m glad Kady at least remembers how to do that.”

“Sure.” He didn’t believe her for a second, but it still sent a pang through him. It touched on something that had been hovering in the back of his mind whenever the subject of their contracts came up with Kady, some sense that she really didn’t know what she wanted to do once they left the Library. She’d have him, obviously, but he hated the thought of her holed up in that ridiculous apartment, or isolating herself out on Hannah and Harriet’s farm. In a way, it would have been a relief if Kady really had been interested in someone, and not playing a game for information.

He wondered why that thought didn’t seem right even in his own head.

“Penny.” He blinked, realizing Marina had been watching him, and probably reading every expression on his face. It was unnerving how, around Marina, he sometimes forgot that he was the one who was psychic. “What were you doing at Pete’s desk?”

“None of your business.” There was no point in the kind of white lie he’d used on Alice with Marina. And, with a sinking feeling, Penny realized she’d probably seen him leave the note for Pete, and there was zero chance she wasn’t going to read it. “Just a question about a case. Have a good night, Marina.” 

“You too, babe.” Marina gave a little wave as he walked away, and when he glanced back, she already had the note in her hands.

***

“It was my mom’s favorite bar when I was a kid,” Kady explained when the waitress had stepped away, leaving their table piled high with burgers, fries and coffee milkshakes. “And the fact that I know that probably tells you more than I want to about my childhood.”

Julia grabbed a fry and popped it in her mouth. Kady had expected someone who looked like she spent her whole life at yoga and in juice bars to order a salad, but Julia had gone straight for grease and carbs. “My dad’s favorite was the Rose Bar, at the Gramercy Park Hotel,” she said. “But it’s all the same thing, right?”

Kady gave her an incredulous look. Was that supposed to be an attempt to relate? “Ah, no,” she said. “I really doubt the Gramercy Park lets unattended kids hide out under the pool table until closing.”

“Of course not,” Julia said. “They would never have a pool table.” But she smiled when she said it. “Uptown snob joke.”

Kady shook her head. “I guess I deserved that,” she said. She stuck a straw in her milkshake and took a long slurp. She wasn’t sure what she was trying to say, except that she wanted Julia to understand that she hadn’t invited her to the bar because she knew Julia would hate it. Not just for that reason, anyway. “I grew up in places like that. Not just bars, though there were a lot of bars. The back rooms of bodegas. Basement apartments. Trailer parks. Any place hedges set up safe houses. My mom loves magic, like, _loves_ it, but she also thought the community was important. She never wanted to cast alone. For her it’s all about joining up with other magicians, teaching each other, helping each other.” 

“I like that. It’s a lot nicer than the way corporate magicians do it. We’re all about contracts.” Julia stirred some ketchup and mayo together on her plate and swiped it up with a fry. “Do you consider yourself a hedge still?”

Julia didn’t seem to be judging her. It wasn’t like the looks she got sometimes at Hannah and Harriet’s parties, polite but cool, placing Kady firmly on the outside of some invisible line. Julia just seemed curious, so Kady made herself think about the question and not just get defensive. 

“I do, in some ways,” she said slowly. _You’re always a hedge in your heart._ “But I don’t really have much to do with that scene anymore. I’m a more independent magician, I guess you’d say.”

“And you work for the Library.” Julia wrinkled her nose, which was unfairly cute.

Kady let it go. She was lucky that Julia, for all her fancy connections, didn’t seem to know much about how the Library functioned. “But there are a few places that still feel like home, you know?” she said. “That bar is one of them. And I like to remember where I came from.”

“Some places are home whether you want them to be or not,” Julia agreed. 

“Exactly,” Kady said. “And I figured, I could take you to a regular place, but magic is the one thing we have in common, right? Plus, normal bars are boring.” She grinned. “No one ever blows anything up.”

“Hah. Such a downside.” Julia spread a napkin on her lap, like a lady, then ruined the image by taking an enormous bite of her burger and moaned. “God, that’s exactly what I needed.”

“They’re incredible, right? I used to come here all the time when I was a teenager.” Kady took another slurp of her milkshake. “‘Course, that was back when I drank, so I don’t know if the staff here has as fond memories of me as I do of them.”

Julia chewed thoughtfully for a moment. “I noticed that,” she said, neatly wiping her mouth. “At the bar, you ordered a club soda.”

“Clean and sober, somewhere from six to eight years,” Kady said. “It depends on which substance we’re talking about.”

“Impressive. But you hang out in bars still?”

“Not often, but I don’t mind it anymore. I know it doesn’t work that way for a lot of people, but I need to acknowledge the temptation. Otherwise I feel like I’m pretending it doesn’t exist, and that’s not a good mindset. For me.”

“I can understand that.” Julia sat up abruptly, setting down her already half-eaten burger. “Okay, I am going to apologize,” she said. “I was rude, earlier.” Julia’s cheeks were red. “I didn’t like being at the bar, but it wasn’t because the people there were hedges. Or because you are. I actually think hedge magic is really cool.”

“You do?” Kady gave a skeptical look. She’d never met a classically trained magician who thought hedge magic was “cool.” 

“Sure. From what I have, you guys don’t limit yourselves to what you’ve been told magic can do. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate my education, but half my work is about unlearning rules that people only follow because they’re scared to break.”

“No one ever taught us the rules, so no need to unlearn, ” Kady said, but she couldn’t help thinking that it made sense. Julia’s magic, that spell on the phone, wasn’t anything she’d ever seen before. You’d have to break a few rules to create something like that.

_Library rules, though?_ She wondered. 

“The reason I got so pissed off,” Julia went on, “is that I don’t hang out much in magician spaces. Not even fancy ones.” Her mouth quirked up in a little smile. “I write spells for a living, but I try not to practice magic in my regular life. The longest I’ve managed is a month without it.”

“Wow.” Kady nodded slowly. “Um… why?”

“I’m too good at it.” Kady almost laughed, but Julia didn’t sound like she was bragging.

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“Not by itself, maybe, but - “ Julia eyes narrowed as she looked away, clearly deciding on a story. Kady didn’t think she was lying, just trying to figure out how much to share. “When I was new to magic, I was very ambitious. I thought I could solve any problem with it, that magic existed to fix things. I tried.” Julia’s face twisted into a grimace. “I fucked up. And people got hurt.”

She paused, clearly expecting a reaction. Kady took another bite of her burger. “That sucks,” she said, chewing.

Julia gave her a little wince, though at her lack of a reaction or her table manners, Kady couldn’t say. “And then for a while I tried to walk away, but that just made me feel like a coward. And so now, I only use magic as a last resort, and I try not to use big magic at all.”

Kady couldn’t see how living in the sanitized world of the McAllister Corporation, hiding behind their wards and the protection of their master magicians while claiming not to cast, wasn’t the same thing as walking away. “So, what, you think if you do magic again, you won’t be able to stop yourself from fucking up?”

“No, of course not,” Julia said, a little sharply. “Magic doesn’t do anything by itself. _I_ was the one who made those mistakes.”

“At least we agree on that.”

“I just don’t think magic really makes anything better, and pretending it will just leads to more problems. I’d rather try to handle any situation without magic before I resort to it. It keeps me grounded, I guess you’d say. Reminds me of my limits.” She dropped her eyes. “Some mistakes you can’t walk back from and I’d rather not make another one of those.”

“You can’t walk back from any mistakes,” Kady said. “But there aren’t many you can’t go forward from.” She smiled wryly when Julia gave her a curious look. “Something a friend of my mother’s said to me, when I jo - when I stopped using. She was speaking from experience.”

Julia nodded. “Well, I went forward without magic.”

Kady finished off her fries, watching Julia’s face. There was clearly more to the story here, and Kady knew she should probably get it out of her, but her instincts told her to wait. “That sounds dumb as hell to me, but whatever works for you,” she said. Julia snorted, a weirdly delicate sound and Kady couldn’t help grinning. “Sorry, was I supposed to say I’m so impressed with your self-control and discipline?”

“You should be,” Julia said. She laughed, breaking the tension of the moment. “I bet you use magic for everything. I bet you do your hair with magic.”

“Every morning,” Kady said, and Julia’s smile softened as she ran her eyes over it.

“It’s working for you.”

“Yeah? The uptight rich girl look works for you too. How much did that dress cost, anyway?”

“Who knows?” Julia said. “I borrowed it from my friend Margo. And now it has ketchup on it, so she’s going to kill me.” She bent over, rubbing at her lap.

Kady slid off her seat and circled around to Julia’s side of the booth, kneeling down beside her. The other woman gave her a surprised look as Kady stretched one hand out, palm flat and hovering over the stain just above her knee. She let her fingers ripple through a few tuts, drawing the mark up and leaving the blue of the dress unblemished. “Simple cleaning spell,” she said, letting her hand drop onto Julia’s knee. “Another thing we hedges can manage.”

“Hmm.” There was a slant to Julia’s mouth and a look in her eyes that suggested she knew exactly what Kady was doing - but she wasn’t objecting for now. “That’s useful,” she said. 

Her face was close enough to Kady’s that she could have gone in for a kiss, a real one this time, not the farce they’d played out for her ex back at the bar. Julia wouldn’t object to that, she was pretty sure, but Kady found herself holding back. Nothing about this night had gone as she’d planned, and she didn’t want to risk blowing it all up now that they were on the same page. 

She didn’t need to rush anything. Julia was having fun now, but it was the memory of the kiss that would bring her back, and the confidences they’d shared. Kady could bide her time.

She squeezed Julia’s knee, then stood up and returned to her own side of the booth. “Another plate of fries?” she asked. “We could share.”

“Sure. And another milkshake.” Julia’s smile grew. “Two straws.”

Kady thought about sharing a drink with Julia, their mouths inches apart. Talk about facing the temptation. “Okay,” she said. “But you’re paying this time.”


	11. Chapter 11

Kady was in a suspiciously good mood.

Penny eyed her over his desk as he settled in for another day of paper pushing for the Library. Zelda had never gone this long between finding them assignments, but every time he’d spotted the Head Librarian in the last week she’d been more distracted than usual, huddling to whisper with her lackeys or rushing to and from the Director’s office. Penny wouldn’t have objected to the time off if he hadn’t had to spend so much of it at this desk; as it was, he couldn’t complain about getting to see Charlie almost every night for the past week, or not missing one of Julia’s texts because he was on a planet without cell reception. 

Thinking of Julia, he pulled out his phone. The Neitherlands was spelled to allow Earth-based phone networks to function, but there were no messages on Julia’s thread since the one he’d sent that morning. Which was fine. Julia was usually quick to text back, but it was early.

He glanced again at Kady, who was sprawled in her chair with her long legs crossed on the desk, humming something bluesy to herself as she flipped through a stack of inventory forms. There wasn’t even a cup of coffee in sight, yet Kady looked wide awake and cheerful. 

“Hey, Pete,” she called. “You did the retrieval for that niffin box in Prague, right? Did it turn out to have an actual niffin in it?”

Pete, who’d been dozing at his desk, jumped. “Uh, um, yeah. I mean, no. We couldn’t really tell. If it did, the thing was old.”

“You forgot to note that in your report.” Kady shook her head in mock disappointment.

“Are _you_ criticizing my paperwork?” Pete asked. Kady was notorious for half-assing her own reports after a mission. “Whatever, I’ll fix it.”

“No worries, I’ve got it.” Kady picked up a pen, bending over the form to correct it.

Pete stared, confused, from her to Penny, who shrugged. Kady in a good mood, especially this early in what passed for morning in the Neitherlands, was weird. 

Kady kept working and Pete went back to his nap. Penny moved a few things around on his desk and was thinking about maybe going to get more coffee when the quiet of their work area was interrupted by Marina’s arrival.

“Fucking backlog on the Fountains,” she grumbled, throwing her oversized purse on her desk. “It makes me think it would be worth it to blow a Traveler if it would guarantee me a ride into this place in the morning.”

The others turned to Penny, who said, “I’ll pass.”

Marina snorted. “Oh, you would thank me, trust, but it’s not an offer.” Her face lit up in a bright smile as she turned her attention on Kady. “How was your weekend?” she asked. “Hot date pan out?”

Penny happened to be looking right at Kady at that moment, so he saw the way her cheeks colored as she answered, “None of your business, Marina.” There was a suggestive smile on her lips, though, one that hinted at a _very_ good weekend. 

That was an act, for Marina’s benefit. Probably.

“You took her to that bar near our old apartment, right?” Marina went on, and Penny cringed. This, too, was a performance. Marina could be weirdly possessive of Kady, but she never showed much interest in the mundane details of her life. Marina didn’t care about that shit with any of them. “Love that place. Hey, that reminds me, Pete, Penny had a question about your contacts there.”

They all looked at Penny again - Pete curious, Kady suspicious, Marina’s face glowing with vicious amusement. Penny cleared his throat. “Yeah, it was just a question. For a case. But I figured out the answer.”

Kady’s eyes narrowed. She knew damn well they had no case. 

Marina’s gaze darted between them, tracking every expression. When no immediate conflict panned out for her entertainment, she gave an exaggerated shrug. “Well, I guess I should get to work. Great seeing you kids. Kady, I’m so happy you had a good time.” She gave a little wave and disappeared to her mirror station on the third floor, where she monitored on-going missions.

Penny picked up a random form off his desk and slid his chair over to Kady like he wanted her to check something on it. “So, how _was_ your weekend?” he asked softly, for her ears only.

Kady gave another little, private smile. “I had a lot of fun on my date. But I guess you already know all about that.” She shot a look in Pete’s direction, her meaning clear. “How about you? You disappeared pretty quickly Saturday.”

“Had things to do. And my date was amazing.” He gave her a challenging smile. Kady was clearly planning to use this situation to fuck with him. He was not going to give her the satisfaction of it working. “Julia’s a great girl.”

“She is.” Kady studied his face, biting her lip. She still looked like she wanted to break into a grin for no reason, and that was so unlike her that it set Penny on edge. “I guess we should… compare notes?”

“Lets.” They got up from their desks and worked their way casually across the floor of mostly empty desks to the kitchen.

Alone, Penny poured them both coffee and sat down at one of the tables. “What did you get?” he asked.

“So eager. Weren’t you the one who objected to this whole plan?” Kady shook her head, burying her face in her coffee.

“It’s okay to admit she didn’t like you enough to tell you anything. Or are you saying you don’t want to keep up the plan? You’re going to walk away and leave Julia alone?”

Kady hesitated, a strangely serious expression flickering across her face, then sighed. “No, I’m not saying that. She’s definitely involved, somehow. I just think maybe you had a point about us being too quick to judge her.” She looked conflicted. “I like her.”

Penny almost laughed. “You mean you still think she’s cute.”

“No, I mean, I enjoy her company. We had an interesting conversation. She wasn’t what I expected.” She stared at him, long enough to make Penny start to feel uncomfortably like he’d missed something, then suddenly grinned. “I’m not saying the kiss wasn’t a highlight, but it wasn’t the only one.”

That shouldn’t have felt like a blow. It shouldn’t have felt like anything. Julia had the right to kiss anyone she wanted. Kady _definitely_ had the right. But it still took a second for him to swallow his coffee and say, “Yeah, we kissed too.” He immediately felt like a petty dick, throwing that moment in her face like it hadn’t meant anything.

Kady tilted her head, watching him. “So you’re still into her.”

“I am.”

“Guess the competition’s still on.” 

He rolled his eyes. “Okay, whatever. What about our investigation?”

The last of Kady’s weirdly cheerful mood faded. “I didn’t get any details, but she told me that she has some big regret in her past,” she said. “She say anything about that to you?”

“Maybe,” he admitted. “She’s definitely got a past, but who doesn’t?” Certainly not the two of them.

“Most of us don’t have stuff in our pasts that makes us reluctant to ever do magic again.”

That.. .actually explained a lot about Julia, and Penny kicked himself for not putting it together. “Still doesn’t mean she worked for Reynard. What do you know about Fillory?”

Kady’s face scrunched up. “Weird talking animal planet? Not much.”

“I think whatever happened to Julia, it happened there.” Despite their agreement, even saying just that much felt like a betrayal. Julia’s face the moment she’d seen that castle in the valley ran through his mind, that raw, stripped-bare expression that she hadn’t planned for him to see but hadn’t tried to hide either. She would hate him for sharing it with someone else, even if she and Kady had managed to have a decent time on their date. “I tried to ask Alice about it, since she worked on that portal negotiation, but -“ He paused when Kady winced. “What?”

“I don’t think we should be talking to Alice about any of this.” She held up a hand when he went to protest that her dislike of his ex was getting out of hand. “No, listen. I know I went to her first, but that’s the problem. It’s one thing for Alice to maybe give me a little hint that Julia’s connected to Reynard, but if we start obviously asking questions, she might decide she has to tell Zelda.” She paused suddenly, head tilted towards the door of the kitchen. “Shh, hold on.”

Kady had freakishly good hearing, the result of a tattooed-on hedge spell. It took Penny a second longer to figure out what she was noticing, but being a psychic had its advantages, even in a building full of people with incredible wards; he could sense several people passing by the door, close enough to overhear their conversation. One of them, definitely not a Librarian by the porous feeling of his wards, was emitting a low, steady thrum of panic. Penny picked up the word _Reynard_ and shot his attention back to Kady.

“Something’s going on,” he said, and stood up, dumping the rest of his coffee in the sink. 

Kady followed him wordlessly into the hall in time to catch three people disappearing into a conference room at the far end of the floor - Director Rowe, officious as ever even just walking around, Zelda, and a short East Asian man with a petrified expression. There was no question who the freaked-out brainwaves belonged to. Penny headed in their direction, Kady trailing along, but before they could get far, Director Rowe turned and looked right at them. Penny quickly ducked his head, patting at his pockets like he’d realized he’d forgotten something, and turned around, back in the direction of his desk.

“That guy was thinking about Reynard,” he said, when they’d both taken their seats.

“Great. There’s zero chance we’re going to get to talk to him. Not if the Director’s involved.” Kady glared in the direction of the conference room.

“Maybe.” Eventually the… source? witness?… would have to come out of there, assuming he wasn’t being held by the Library in one of the cells out on the fourth ring.

The morning stretched on as they waited. Kady went back to her paperwork, though now that whatever cheery mood she’d been in had faded, she seemed to do more doodling in the margins than checking off boxes. Penny played a game on his phone. At one point he got a text from Julia - _Good morning. Looking forward to Friday night_ \- and tried not to wonder why it had taken her until almost noon to text, and if she was distracted because she was in trouble with a dangerous magician or - Kady was now smiling down at her own phone - by something else.

Kady sent funny messages. They always had emojis he didn’t understand. Penny would probably read her messages first, too.

He shoved his phone in his desk before he got tempted to start texting Julia like a twelve-year old girl.

It was close to lunch time when Alice appeared, making her way through the warren of open-air desks with brisk efficiency. She ignored Penny and Kady, going straight to Pete’s desk to whisper with him for a minute, and then moved off, Pete following her. They went to the door of the conference room and Zelda let them in. The Head Librarian’s eyes seemed to linger on the other Agents before she closed the door. After only a few minutes, Pete reappeared, stopping to pick up his suit jacket off the back of his desk chair as he passed. 

“I’ve gotta go place some mirror spells,” he said, sighing like he always did when the Library required him to do actual work. Most of Pete’s “job” as an Agent involved visiting various hedge bars in his off-hours, courting spies and informants. 

“Oh yeah?” Kady asked casually, not looking up from her work. “Where?”

“The apartments of a bunch of Brakebills brats in New York. Apparently they fell in with the wrong crowd.” He pulled out a sheet of paper and studied it. “First one is a spell writer with the McAllister Corporation. Those should be fun wards to pick through.” He gave another beleaguered sigh and wandered off towards stairs leading up to the mirror stations.

Left alone, Penny sat frozen. _Shit_. He hadn’t taken Kady’s suspicions seriously, he realized. He’d figured that Julia had something dark in her past, that maybe she had a grudge against the Library or was on their radar somehow, but Kady’s guess had been such a long shot, a two-point connection like half the magicians in the world had to each other, and he hadn’t seriously thought that it mattered. 

But his partner had been right.

Penny turned to Kady, trying to contain a feeling of panic. He could beat Pete to Julia’s apartment if he Traveled, but if the Library was watching her… or maybe he should go straight to her office, confess everything - 

“Damn,” Kady said. “Is it weird that I wasn’t expecting that?”

“Yeah, your theory was right. That doesn’t help Julia,” he snapped. A few other Agents looked up from their desks and Penny lowered his voice. “They’re going to spy on her apartment. We need to do something.”

If Kady even wanted to. He was the one who was in this for Julia; Kady had just wanted to crack the case. 

But Kady looked troubled, not at all like he’d expected her to react to finding out she’d been right. They stared at each other for a long moment. 

“I do have an idea,” Kady said finally. “But you aren’t going to like it.”

***

There were few things in life Kady hated more than asking Marina for a favor. It gave the other woman way too much pleasure.

“Julia Wicker,” Marina purred, studying the name. “And you need information on her for a case? I don’t think I believe you. I haven’t heard of any case.”

“It’s unofficial,” Kady said. “I’m working off a hunch. Call it a favor.”

“Oh, Kady.” Marina shook her head regretfully. “You know I don’t do favors.”

“Then call it a leg up. There is a case. Pete was just sent to set up the spell for the mirrors. But I bet Zelda didn’t ask you to coordinate, did she?”

For someone who was so manipulative towards others, Marina had always been shockingly easy to read. Her face hardened all over. “Pete came by, but he said he was working a case with Sheila.” She practically spat out the name.

Sheila had been a recruit a few years before Kady and Marina; an older hedge who’d gotten caught siphoning the pipeline in her hometown, she’d taken to Library life faster than most. When her contract was up, there had been no question of her leaving. She still did field work sometimes, but mostly she coordinated missions. She and Marina had a vicious rivalry.

“This is a high profile case,” Kady said, watching the other woman carefully. Marina had been messing with her life since she was a teenager, but the flip side was that she’d learned to apply her own manipulation in turn. “Sheila’s going to get a lot of attention for it.”

Marina’s mouth twisted. “And what, I should help you out of jealousy?”

“You should help me because if I figure out Julia Wicker’s connection to Reynard before Sheila can make a case, I’ll be a fucking hero around this place and you’ll make Sheila look like a fool. ”

Marina gave a sudden laugh, one Kady would almost believe was genuine. It made her look younger. “Clever girl.” Her smile faded as she studied Kady’s face and Kady tried not to squirm. It had been a very long time since she was afraid of Marina - even before they came to the Library, the relationship that had begun with Marina holding Hannah’s safety over Kady’s head had evolved into something more complicated - but Marina’s stares had always made her uncomfortable. There had been a time when Kady thought Marina might know her better than she knew herself, and it had frightened her what Marina saw. 

She thought, maybe, that fear had faded when she met Penny. He could literally see into her mind, but if he found any of the dark corners Marina implied were there, they didn’t repel him.

“This isn’t about a case, is it?” Marina asked. “She’s the one you went on a date with. What, are you afraid you’re going to get in trouble for sleeping with the enemy?” 

Kady kept her face blank. “That’s ridiculous.”

Marina’s smile grew slowly, a dark slash of amusement. “Kady, sweetie. If you want me to help you spy on the girl you’re trying to fuck, all you have to do is ask. That’s a favor I’d actually do. ”

Kady knew it had been a long shot, but she would have preferred to keep this part from Marina. She didn’t like the idea of Marina spying while they were talking, of her seeing Julia trust Kady, of her seeing Kady - 

_It’s an investigation_ , she reminded herself. _That’s more important than any personal feelings. And if Julia’s in actual danger, from Reynard or from the Library, that’s more important than Marina getting a chance to laugh at you._

Marina was the one person in the Library who Kady trusted to break the rules for them. She hated rules, unless she was the one making them.

_Give a little to get a little,_ she’d said to Penny the other night _._ Now it was her turn.

“It’s both,” she admitted. “I started seeing her for the case, but Penny is… also seeing her. For more personal reasons.” 

That last part almost stuck in her throat. Her own reasons were feeling a lot less impersonal than they had.

Marina’s eyes widened, and then she threw back her head and giggled. Kady stared. She’d never seen the other woman laugh like that. “You - and Penny - you’re both - “ she wheezed. It took her a minute to get herself under control. “Fine,” she said, wiping at her eyes. “I’ll do it. If you get in and lay your own spells on the mirrors, I’ll run a side job and pass on what I find.”

Kady let out a breath. “Thank you,” she said. 

“Oh, no, thank you,” Marina said. She had her face under control, but her voice still wavered like she wanted to start laughing again. “Watching you and Penny fight over a girl is going to be the highlight of my career.”

“We’re not fi - oh, never mind.” She had no doubt that she was getting off easy if the biggest price they paid for Marina’s help was a little mild humiliation. “We appreciate this.” She got up and glanced around the station, a small dark room with mirrors on every wall and standing surface. Dozens of images flickered just beyond them, Agents running missions and magicians under suspicion living their lives with no idea that Marina was watching. The thought of Julia being one of them made her stomach twist, but the Library was already going to be spying on her. At least this way she and Penny would know everything they did. At least they could warn her.

_Assuming she is innocent._ But Kady wasn’t so sure that’s where her line was anymore.

“If Penny asks, you can give the reports to him, too,” she said as she reached the door.

“Of course.” Marina’s expression was still amused as she turned back to her mirrors. “I knew the two of you were close,” she said. “But I didn’t realize you’d progressed to sharing.”

Kady rolled her eyes. “I’m in it for a case,” she reminded her.

“Sure thing. I’ll get you all the juicy details.”

Kady sighed as she closed the door. _Worth it._

***

“I can’t believe you talked me into this,” Penny grumbled as they materialized in the bedroom. 

“Shh.” Kady turned her attention towards the doors out into the rest of the apartment, head tilted as she listened. Julia was supposed to be out that night with her friends - she’d texted them both about it separately, though only Kady’s message had come with some kind of picture that had made his partner laugh - but that didn’t mean they shouldn’t be cautious. 

Penny turned his own attention towards the outer room of the apartment. “There’s no one here,” he said. “Psychic, remember?”

“Our girlfriend’s a brilliant magician, remember?” Kady retorted. “I’m sure she has strong wards.”

Kady had been making the jokes about “our girlfriend” all afternoon, since she’d come back from Marina’s mirror station with her frankly insane plan. Penny was pretty sure she was doing it to irritate him; she seemed confused that it kept making him smile. Penny didn’t want to look too closely at that.

“She does, but that just means I can’t read her mind, not that I can’t tell when she’s around. There’s no one on this floor of the building at all. Let’s move quick.” He went straight to the mirror over Julia’s dresser and began the tuts for the spell that would give Marina access on her end, trying not to look too closely at anything else. He’d Traveled them into Julia’s bedroom because it was easier to aim for something he could see through the window from the street and not risk getting skewered by her wards, but it felt a lot more invasive than if they’d turned up in the kitchen.

Kady was less worried about Julia’s privacy. “Why rush? If there’s no one here, what better chance to get some information?”

“You are not examining her apartment!” 

“Penny, we’re putting up mirror spells so we can spy on her whenever we want,” Kady pointed out. “So _Marina_ can spy on her. I’m not sure why going through her mail or the books on her shelves would be where we need to draw the moral line.”

“And that’s why I hate this plan.” Penny finished the last of the tuts and the mirror lit up briefly before the spells faded. “That one’s done. I’ll check the next room.”

The rest of the apartment was one big room. The whole place was messy, like Julia was always a little behind at picking up, but it felt like her. Everything from the throw across the back of the couch to the collection of little female statues from different cultures - goddess statues, he thought - felt like Julia. The apartment had the faintest whiff of her floral perfume. As Penny moved around, performing the mirror spell on every reflective surface, he could feel his shoulders relax, even his discomfort with what they were doing fading. He liked being in Julia’s space. It felt familiar in a way that reminded him of - 

He paused, hands hovering over the shiny metal of the stove. He should have been thinking of Alice, but the house they’d shared in Modesto had never felt like this. It wasn’t that it hadn’t been home, but Alice and Penny had each had their corners of that house, worked out when they moved in together, and Penny had never felt fully comfortable in her spaces. Instead, what Julia’s apartment reminded him of was Kady’s apartment, that sense of recognizing the mark a person left on their space and feeling easy because of it. 

He shook off any implications of that and went back to the spells.

When he finished, he made his way to the bookshelf behind the couch, skimming over the contents. There were a lot of modern-type novels with pictures of sad women portrayed from the back with sunsets or beaches beyond them, none of which looked like they’d never been read, but the bottom shelf was packed with worn fantasy and kids books. Penny grinned as he flipped through them; instead of notes in the margins, Julia had tucked little slips of paper into the novels with her thoughts written on them. By the evolving handwriting and a phase where she’d used a bright pink pen, Penny guessed some of these went back to when Julia was very young. He laughed at a few comments. Julia had strong feelings about the lack of female characters in a lot of these books.

One of the books had “Fillory and Further, Book One,” stamped along the spine, and was especially worn out. Penny touched that one gently, then flipped it open to the front page. Unlike most of the others, this one had notes from all different stages in Julia’s life, ranging from girlish cursive exclamations decorated with hearts to a typed essay for a high school class. At the back of the book he found a torn-out piece of thick, creamy paper with a strange symbol stamped on it that looked like a sheep. That page was covered in messy, nearly-unreadable handwriting. Penny managed to make out a few words: _watcher woman_ and _how many gods??_

…. And then, ominously, _he’s not in the books. Who is Reynard?_

***

Once Penny disappeared into the living room, Kady searched the bedroom, trying to get a feel for Julia. The woman she’d spent a shockingly fun night with at the diner on Saturday was polished and sophisticated; even when she’d let down her guard and showed Kady the well of regret and self-recrimination inside, even when she was stuffing her face with burgers and fries, she’d never stopped being the smooth corporate magician. So seeing her apartment full of personal touches was like getting to know her in an entirely different way. Kady dug through the jewelry on the bedside table, the stacks of mostly dry magical texts on the floor beside the bed. There were a few photos that might be family shots, of two older blonde women who strikingly resembled each other and Julia not at all, but most of the pictures looked like they were of friends. A short guy with shaggy brown hair featured in most of them, including one that made Kady grin when she realized it was of a teenage Julia, laughing hysterically in a way Kady would not have been able to picture if she hadn’t seen her after their kiss the other night. 

Others were larger group shots. One had Julia and her friend in graduation caps and gowns, standing on a bright green lawn with several other people in street clothes. Kady raised the picture close to her eyes, and sure enough, she recognized Josh Hoberman at the end of the row. These were Julia’s Brakebills friends. She fished out her phone and took a picture. It had sounded like Pete would be setting up mirror spells in their homes too; Kady didn’t dare ask Marina to do that, but maybe she could find some information on her own.

She set the picture back down and did another circle through the room. The wall above the bed was decorated with framed maps. Following a hunch, Kady made a viewing window with her fingers and peered through it, seeing the shimmer of magic across the frames. Julia’s map collection. She should bring Penny back in to look at it, she thought, and felt an odd twinge at the thought that he would get the fascination in a way she couldn’t.

Which was stupid. She was in this whole mess because Penny was already too attached to Julia to see straight. If it turned out that Julia was innocent - or guilty of something she regretted and didn’t deserve the Library’s punishment for, like Kady guessed - then the two of them had every chance at a happy future together. Kady even thought maybe she could frame it that way for Julia when they told her the truth, make it clear that none of this had been Penny’s idea, or his fault. Then Julia would forgive him, his contract would end, and the two of them could go off to be happy together, Traveling across realms with Charlie, collecting magical objects. It would be the best for everyone. 

But every time she tried to imagine that future, other thoughts kept getting in the way. Like how Julia’s eyes darkened when she was angry, and the sharp tone in that throaty voice when Kady got under her skin. Like the thoughtful way she’d listened to Kady talk about her own past. Like how she’d caught her breath when Kady rested a hand on her knee. Like her laugh, outside the bar, or the smell of her hair when they’d been pressed close together, or the way she’d so completely fallen into the kiss, totally forgetting about the game they were playing.

Even if they weren’t investigating her, even if it wouldn’t be a mean thing to do to Penny, she and Julia obviously didn’t belong together. Julia needed someone who would push her limits but not just blow past them, someone who could see that she’d been through a lot and not just cause more trouble. Kady did nothing but cause trouble, which was why she hadn’t had a relationship last more than a week in years. It was better for everyone that way.

She turned away from the maps and went out into the living room, to find Penny standing by the bookshelf, a book in his hand. He jumped when she looked over his shoulder.

“Kid’s book?” she asked. “That’s weird.”

“They were her favorites.” He turned the book so she could see the cover. It looked stuffy and British. “She talked about them the other night.”

Kady watched the way whatever he was remembering softened his features and felt another twinge. This one, she knew, she couldn’t blame on Julia, and it was even more pointless than imagining a future where Julia wanted to be with her. 

“Are you done?” she asked, cutting into his romantic daydreaming or whatever it was.

“Yeah,” Penny said. “I did the mirror over there by the entertainment system, and some of the reflective surfaces in the kitchen. What else?”

“How about the TV?” Kady went to take care of that one, snapping quickly through the tuts. “I can’t think of anywhere else unless you want to put one in the bathroom.”

“We are not giving _Marina_ access to Julia’s bathroom.”

“Relax, it was a joke. And stop being so suspicious of Marina. She has an agenda for helping us, but she’s the one person I trust not to have the _Library’s_ agenda.” Kady finished the spell and looked around the room for any more mirrors. Penny went back into the bedroom as she did a quick check of the hall. There was a small mirror over the door, but when Kady looked through her fingers at it, she saw the thing was covered in a heavy mesh of wards that reminded her of the ones on the Stonery. Clearly Julia’s work, probably set to keep intruders who weren’t also Travelers out and far too dangerous to touch. 

Maybe the sink was shiny enough to hold a spell. She stepped up to the counter, and was examining the array of little knick-knacks along the island - there was an incredibly ugly dwarf clock that rivaled all the horrific art in her own apartment - when she heard a key in the door.

Panicking, Kady spun around in time to see the door begin to open. From the hall came multiple voices. Kady looked frantically towards the bedroom, but Penny was nowhere in sight. With a curse, she flung herself across the kitchen and into the space between the refrigerator and the wall just as the door opened and Julia stumbled in.

There were several other women with her, and it was clear that the only reason they’d missed Kady’s dive across the room was that they’d been drinking and were distracted. Kady held her breath and tried to press herself back further into the tiny space as they crossed the room in a clatter of heels. “Sorry about this, guys,” she heard Julia say. “Every time I leave the bedroom window open, the neighbor’s cat tries to get in and ends up screwing with the wards. This will only take a second to fix.” Her footsteps moved off in the direction of the bedroom. 

_Penny. Shit._ Kady looked towards the bedroom door, frantically thinking in his direction. Hopefully he’d heard her coming. Julia appeared in Kady’s line of vision briefly, her back to her as she disappeared into the bedroom. There was no scream or sound of things exploding, so Penny must have hidden too.

If he’d gone into the closet or the bathroom, he was probably safe, which was a lot better than Kady’s situation. “Guys, grab a drink if you want one while I fix this!” Julia called from the bedroom, and Kady thought _no, no, no._ One of Julia’s friends, a dark woman in an expensive-looking dress came into the kitchen and from her narrow viewpoint Kady saw her go for the wine rack right beside the fridge. If the woman got any closer, she was going to spot her.

“Hey, there’s an open bottle out here,” another voice called, and Kady let out a breath in relief as the woman turned away.

“Count on Julia to have a bottle of wine ready to go at all times,” she said dryly, retreating towards the living room.

“Rude, Margo.”

“It’s my charm.”

There were clinking sounds as the two women in the living room poured their wine. Kady could catch glimpses of them as they moved around. The other girl was a blonde. Kady thought she had seen both of them in the photo in Julia’s room. The blonde knelt down to pick something up off the floor, and Kady swore to herself, realizing it was the book Penny had been looking at. He must have dropped it. 

“I wouldn’t have expected you to go back to these,” the woman said, distracting Julia away from looking right at Kady as she returned to the living room. 

“What’s that?” Julia took the book and the glass of wine the woman handed her and frowned. “That’s weird. I didn’t have that out.”

The other woman shrugged. “The day I see that fucking ram’s head again will be too soon,” she said, losing interest.

“Yeah.” Kady watched as Julia put the book back on the shelf and joined her friends on the couch, still looking confused.

Over her shoulder, Kady saw a shadow move behind the bedroom door.

“Forget about Fillory,” Margo said. “I want to hear more about the drama in Julia’s love life.”

Julia laughed. “There’s no drama. I’m just seeing someone.” She paused. “Maybe two someones.”

“That’s a ton of drama by your standards.”

“No kidding, Vi. That’s more people than she’s seen in the last two years.”

“You guys make me seem so boring.” 

“We don’t say boring. We say… mmm, intense. Serious.”

“Speak for yourself,” Margo said. “I say boring.”

The blonde, Vi, looked like she was about to answer, then paused. Her head turned and Kady was sure she was about to get caught, but instead she looked to the bedroom. 

“Vi? Is something wrong?”

The woman stood up, pacing slowly towards the bedroom door. Her hands were raised in the beginnings of a spell. “I thought I felt something,” she said.

“What, like someone’s here?” Julia and Margo both put their glasses down and stood up. Somewhere between swearing at Penny in her head, Kady noted that all three of them looked like they were preparing battle magic. It wasn’t what she would have expected from a bunch of classical magicians; she was pretty sure they weren’t even allowed to learn it. 

“Yeah, I think - “ Vi reached for the bedroom door, and at that moment something crashed on the other side. All three women rushed forward - and so they missed when Penny appeared in the kitchen, grabbed Kady by the hand, and vanished just as quickly.


	12. Chapter 12

“Julia’s sentimental. You wouldn’t guess it, but it’s true. Half the stuff in that apartment of hers is from her childhood and the rest is gifts from friends or mementos from places she visited. She doesn’t have a great relationship with her family - she hasn’t even fixed that picture of her mom you broke to distract them all while you grabbed Kady - but she regrets not being with her father when he died. She talks about it with that boring friend of hers when she’s drunk. The other thing they talk about are your kissing skills, which she rates above average, surprisingly - “

“Marina,” Penny interrupted before this could get any more uncomfortably personal. “What does any of this have to do with Reynard?”

“Nothing. She hasn’t talked about him. This is to help you with your dating situation.”

He rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. He didn’t think it was just from the effect of sitting in her station surrounded by all the mirrors. “I don’t need help with my ‘dating situation,’” he said. “You are supposed to be getting us information for our case. That’s what you and Kady agreed on.”

“I know.” Her lips curled up on one side. “I’m trying to get you a bit of an edge here.”

“I don’t need an edge - wait, what? Why would you do that?” He gave her a suspicious look. “If you’re undermining Kady - “

“I just don’t think it’s fair she has such an advantage, being so ridiculously gorgeous and all. I’m trying to give you a hand up.” 

“Thanks so much,” Penny said flatly. “Do you have anything useful to share?”

“Yes.” Marina glanced at the clock on her wall and grinned. “You’re late for your date.”

***

Julia opened her eyes, blinking against the sudden sunlight. Her skin prickled as the temperature abruptly rose ten degrees. When she’d adjusted to the usual disorientation of Traveling, she realized they were standing on a boardwalk, the late afternoon sun beating down on them. All around her, crowds of beachgoers and what were clearly tourists mingled with kids on skateboards and eclectically dressed locals selling cheap jewelry and souvenirs. “Uh, where are we?” she asked.

“My home town.” She glanced up in surprise and found Penny grinning down at her. “Hope you don’t mind leaving New York for the night?”

“I - no. Definitely not.” Julia shook off the haze of confusion and smiled at him. “Sorry. You aren’t the first Traveler I’ve ever met, but you are the first one to use it to take me to - Florida, right?”

“That’s right. No point in having the power if you don’t use it for something fun.”

“Sure.” Julia looked around again, realizing they’d landed in the middle of the crowd without anyone noticing. “Nice illusion work.”

He shrugged modestly, but Julia thought he was pleased. “I learned from the best.” At her questioning look, he added, “My ex - You know, what? Not relevant.”

Julia laughed. “Okay. So where are we going? Childhood home? Your favorite teenage hangout? Give me the Penny Adiyodi highlight tour.”

“Ah, well, maybe.” He took her hand and led her down the street of what Julia could now see was a typical tourist beach town, a bright splash of vacation-friendly motels and stores over the run-down appearance of a place that didn’t get much traffic outside of the summer season. “My friend Frankie lives just down this street,” Penny explained as they walked. “We grew up together. I haven’t been back for a while, but Frankie - he never changes. And neither does his family. Tonight is Friday, so that means dinner at Beatriz’s house. She’s his aunt, but she’s also my old landlady, from before I le - uh, moved to New York. I’m sure she won’t mind us just showing up.”

“We’re going to make a woman who isn’t even expecting us serve us dinner?” Julia said, horrified. She imagined her mother’s reaction to her bringing unexpected guests over on a Friday night. 

Penny laughed at her expression. “Don’t worry. Beatriz loves me more than Frankie. She’ll be fine with it.”

“If you say so.” 

“Frankie’s dad passed a few years ago, and most of the other relatives have moved away. So it’s just Beatriz and Frankie, but she still cooks enough for ten. We won’t go hungry, I promise.”

Beatriz lived on the first floor of a house that had been converted to apartments. As they waited on the porch for someone to answer the doorbell, Penny explained that the back two rooms had been his when he was younger, and pointed out a few spots where he’d done repair work on the stairs and the slightly-crooked door. “I didn’t say I was good at repairs,” he said when she teased him about the craftsmanship. “Beatriz gave me shit about it too.”

“I like her already,” Julia said.

Penny opened his mouth to protest, but at that moment the door opened on a stocky, dark-skinned man with an Afro and a comical amount of jewelry on his wrists and around his neck. The man gaped at Penny. “Holy shit,” he said finally.

Penny gave a wide grin. “Frankie. It's been a while.”

“I mean, _yeah_.” Frankie grabbed Penny and pulled him down into a hug. 

Julia stepped back, smiling a little awkwardly while Frankie and Penny exchanged those back-slapping gestures of affection men used. When they were done, Penny looked the other man over critically and said, “I can see the luck is still holding out.”

“It is.” Frankie looked past Penny to Julia. “But not as much as yours.” He took Julia’s hand and held it. “It’s very nice to meet Penny’s lovely friend.”

“Oh, Jesus,” Penny grumbled, but Julia laughed.

“It’s nice to meet you too.”

Penny sighed. “Julia, Frankie. Frankie, Julia is - “

“Is that William?” a woman yelled from inside the house. Penny winced.

“It’s him,” Frankie called. “Come on in,” he said to Penny and Julia. “We were just about to eat.”

The apartment was small but cozy and smelled delicious. Frankie’s aunt was hovering over about twelve dishes in the kitchen, but she paused when they came in to greet Julia and to take Penny’s face in her hands, practically pulling him down on his knees. She studied him carefully. “Your wards are better,” she said, and then shrugged. “Well, if you’re here to eat, sit down! We can’t wait for you all night.”

If Beatriz had any objection to them showing up for dinner unannounced, it didn’t show. Once the food was served, she gave a vague non-explanation. “Frankie misses Penny,” she said. Frankie protested, but very mildly, and Penny made an “aw” noise in his direction. “And Frankie always gets what he wants, so,” she shrugged, “I guessed you would show up eventually.”

“You always get what you want?” Julia asked.

“Luck magic,” Frankie said. “That’s my thing, you know. Like Beatriz talks to animals and Penny blips around scaring the shit out of people.”

“Oh, your discipline!” Julia sat up straight, interested. Luck magic was extremely rare; they didn’t teach classes in it at Brakebills, since it was almost impossible to learn if you weren’t born with the skill. 

Frankie and Beatriz both looked at her strangely, and Julia remembered that discipline wasn’t a term that got used outside of classical circles. Hedges, and that’s clearly what these people were, tended to be sensitive about that. But after a moment, Beatriz shrugged. “She knows what she’s talking about,” she said to Penny. “That’s good for you, since you never wanted to listen to what I could teach.” 

Penny sighed and muttered, “that was ten years ago,” though he didn’t really look annoyed, and Julia wondered if it would be taken the wrong way if she asked what Beatriz could teach. She’d never had the chance to learn from a hedgewitch. 

“Though I suppose that woman you met was smart too,” Beatriz went on. “And the baby? How is she?” Julia’s ears pricked at this mention of Penny’s ex, but Penny pulled out his phone with its pictures of his daughter, and the next several minutes went on his favorite subject.

They finished eating and had dessert. Julia stopped feeling embarrassed after the second time she asked for more and Beatriz smiled at her. The older woman asked her about her life and her work, and Julia quickly realized that nothing about magic school or interdimensional travel surprised her, confirming her suspicion that hedges knew a lot more than most of her old teachers would like to have admitted. Frankie and Penny had a long conversation about a whole string of people whose names Julia quickly forgot, paying attention only to a reference to a robbery because Penny quickly shut down that line of discussion. Julia made a note to tell him she didn’t care if he’d broken the law in his past; Vi had been a thief for a while too, and possibly still was. It seemed to be a Traveler thing.

They left after dessert, with Beatriz walking them to the door. Penny offered to fix it again, and Beatriz grumbled about his skills, so Julia said, “I could do it. My best friend is a mender and he taught me a few things.” 

“That actually sounds useful,” Beatriz said. “More than most magic.”

The others stood back and Julia ran through the minor mendings spell she’d learned during her first year at Brakebills but hadn’t really understood until the days right after Fillory, when she’d spent weeks sacked out on the couch in her sweats with Quentin on the floor beside her, quietly walking her through the process of mending the old books he was going to display in his new store, explaining about feeling the soul of the object. She couldn’t do that - small magic had never been her thing - but the idea of fixing something had always appealed to her, was rooted in her own magic, and so the spell still worked. When she was finished, Beatriz tested the door and nodded, pleased. 

“Don’t mess it up with this one like you did with the last one,” she said to Penny.

“Why do you assume I messed up?” Penny grumbled, but he gave her a long hug before they left.

They walked back down to the beach, hand in hand and not talking much. At the boardwalk, Penny bought ice cream cones and they climbed down onto the sand to eat them. Julia stumbled a little, not minding at all when Penny wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. She pulled off her heels. “I’m getting used to surprise dates, but maybe next time some warning about footwear,” she suggested.

“I’ll remember that.” Penny led her to a bench stuck halfway down the sand and they sat down. “I hope this wasn’t too weird an idea for a date. I just thought, since Fillory was so personal to you, maybe I should show you something like that.”

“This was a perfect date,” Julia said “I really liked them.”

“They’re pretty great people,” Penny agreed. “I’ve been best friends with Frankie since we were kids.”

“Like me and Quentin.”

“Yeah, but Frankie and I were foster brothers too. I got placed in his house. Then after high school, I didn’t really know what I was doing. I worked some jobs, but it wasn’t like I had a plan for my life, you know?” 

“Sure, “ Julia said, though she couldn’t imagine it. If anything, she’d always had too many plans. 

“Plus, being a Traveler… it messed me up for a bit. Beatriz let me stay at her place and pay what I could, and I made up the rest doing odd jobs. Badly.” She laughed. Penny finished the last of his ice cream and wiped his hands on his knees. “I’ve been thinking I ought to bring Charlie down here. She knows Alice’s parents really well - which is not necessarily a good thing, but at least she knows where she comes from on that side. I think she should probably get to know where I come from too. I don’t know why I’ve stayed away so long.” A troubled look crossed his face that made her think that wasn’t completely true. “In the beginning, I had this idea that - okay, this will sound stupid, but like I should have _done_ something before I came back. That I should give them something to be proud of.” He shook his head. “Which is crazy, because that’s definitely the reason I should bring Charlie here. She’s the one thing I’m sure I absolutely did right.”

“Even though things didn’t work out with your ex?” Julia blushed when he looked at her, surprised. “Sorry, it’s just Beatriz mentioned, you know, that’s she’s smart, and it got me wondering - “

“If I have a type?” He grinned. “Maybe. But it’s less smart girls and more, you know, strong girls who can probably kick my ass.”

Julia’s face was burning. “I just wondered what she was like. Or what you were like. With her.” 

_Were you also this perfect, romantic person who still feels like he’s holding something back? Is that why it didn’t work out with her?_ It wasn’t like she could ask that, though.

“Oh.” Penny turned serious, looking out at the water, barely visible now that the sun had gone down. “We - worked together. It was when I first moved to New York and I didn’t really know anyone, and Alice - she’s not the type to have a lot of friends. I think we were both lonely and it was kind of a connection between us. And then one thing led to another, and then Charlie - “ He shrugged. “We never talked about what we wanted, and it took a long time to realize we wanted different things.”

“And what did you want?”

:”Something real. Something stable.” He glanced back towards the town, smiling wryly. “The psychology on that one isn’t hard to figure out, right?” She laughed, since that’s what he seemed to want. “I wanted someone who would let me be there for them,” he went on. “And Alice didn’t, at least not from me.”

“Oh.” She thought of that night in Fillory again, how Penny had looked at the moment when Julia knew her own mask had slipped. “What about kids?” she asked, then realized what a weird transition that was. “I mean, do you want more kids?”

“Uh…” He laughed a little. “I wouldn’t mind, but I have one great kid, so it’s not like I need more. Why? Do you want kids?”

“I don’t object to the idea, but I’ve never thought I would make a great mom. I’m too intense or something.”

Penny studied her, his face hard to read in the darkness. “You _care_ about things intensely,” he said finally. “That’s not a bad thing. I think you’re too hard on yourself.”

“I - yeah, maybe. I’ve been thinking of that lately.” She thought of the spell she’d done that night on Beatriz’s door, how she hadn’t even stopped to think about her streak. “A friend of mine said something to me the other day,” she said. “She said there are no mistakes you can move on from, but there are very few you can’t move forward from. I’m trying to adopt that idea.” She laughed, self-conscious. “We’ll see how it goes.” There was an odd expression on his face. “What?”

“Nothing.” He shook his head, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Julia leaned in gratefully. “I like hearing about you,” he said.

She smiled against his shoulder. “I like you too. Thank you for bringing me to your home, and letting me see all this. It means a lot.”

He kissed her hair. “It means a lot to me too.”

“But, um, I have a question.”

“Yeah? What is it?”

_“William?”_

***

“Your girl has expensive taste,” Marina said. “That TV stand probably went for five thousand, and her bed is an antique. You could live for a year off that thing.”

“Super helpful,” Kady said dryly. “This isn’t what I asked for, Marina.”

“Well, excuse me if Julia doesn’t spend all her time in her apartment talking about her secret past with a rogue magician who has a fondness for god-killing weapons.”

“No, I realize she wouldn’t but - “ Kady paused in her pacing around the mirror station. “God-killing weapons?”

“That Leo Blade. Didn’t Zelda put that in your report?” Marina’s innocent expression wasn’t even slightly believable.

“No, she didn’t.” Kady scowled, thinking of what else Zelda had probably been hiding, even from the beginning. And now that she didn’t have access to Reynard’s file anymore, there was no way to put the pieces together. “Okay, back to Julia. Are you trying to tell me you have nothing useful about her?”

It wasn’t the worst thing. If Marina didn’t have anything on Julia, then neither did Director Rowe’s team. 

“I didn’t say that. I just said I have nothing for your case.” Marina swiveled her chair around, legs crossed, and looked up at Kady with penetrating eyes. “I have plenty if you want to know what it will take to get her attention. All you have to do is ask.”

Kady stared down at the other woman, torn. Penny had mentioned that Marina “messed with him” before his last date with Julia, and Kady could imagine how that had gone. But… “I need to get her to open up to me, but I don’t want to make her suspicious,” she said reluctantly.

Marina immediately nodded. “Try talking to her in bed,” she said. “Always works for me.”

Unfortunately, Kady knew that from personal experience. “I can’t,” she said. “That’s off the table. Penny and I agreed.”

“Oh.” Marina tilted her head. “Interesting.”

“What?”

“Nothing. Never mind.” The other woman got up, a sly smile on her face, and went to a stack of reports in the corner. “Well, if you need information on Julia’s interests and tastes, I can give you that. Penny seems to be leaning in to nostalgia, but I think you should go in a different direction.”

“Like what?” Kady shifted uncomfortably. Marina was good at manipulating people, no one knew that better than Kady, but she didn’t like the idea of treating her dates with Julia as a con. Even if that’s what they’d started out.

“Like this.” Marina flipped through a stack of files and withdrew a single sheet. “Julia’s favorite restaurant.”

Kady took the paper and her eyebrows shot up. “Are you kidding? Even if I wanted to pay that much for dry steak, I could never get in there. They’re booked out for months.”

Marina waved a hand dismissively. “I could get you in, but I’m not suggesting you go there. No, you need to take this as your inspiration and pick something better. This is the place Julia went every year for her anniversary with her ex. The lawyer, you know? About to become the youngest partner at his firm, a father in politics, inheritance of - “

“Yeah, I get it, impressive.” Kady sighed, looking down at the pictures of white tablecloths and a million forks and tiny desserts that probably had solid gold nuggets in them. It had been fun the other night, teasing Julia about her dress and her ridiculous Gramercy Park comment, playing up the opposites-attract appeal, but this was too much. “Marina, if I took Julia to a place like this, all I would do was embarrass myself. I’d wear the wrong thing or order the wrong thing or, I don’t know, spill a thousand dollar bottle of wine on her.”

Marina nodded slowly. “I see the problem. But I have a solution.” She walked to the door of her station and opened it, looking out on the floor of Agents below. “Pete!” she yelled. “I have a job for you!”

***

“Wow.” Julia stared up at the sign over the restaurant’s door, delicate gold lights picking up the name in elegant cursive. “When you said we should grab dinner, this wasn’t what I had in mind.” She fussed a little with her skirt. “I feel underdressed.”

“You look beautiful, like you always do,” Kady said. She touched Julia’s wrist. “Come on.”

_Kady_ looked beautiful. She was wearing a sleek black pantsuit of some velvety material, with just enough structure to show off her shoulders but clinging over the hips and legs. The front revealed a deep vee of skin that implied Kady might not be wearing anything under that jacket. She’d put some different product in her hair, so instead of wild curls the whole dark mass fell soft and touchable across her face, contrasting sharply with her skin. She had just enough liner on to enhance her bright green eyes, and deep burgundy lips. When they’d stepped out of the cab, she’d wavered for just as second on her heels, but then she’d reached back to take Julia’s hand and pulled her out beside her. Julia had caught a whiff of some spicy perfume from her wrist, and when they were standing together on the street, Kady had held on to her hand just a second longer than necessary, their fingers slowly slipping apart. Julia had been suddenly aware of the height difference between them, and the way Kady had stood just a little too close for a moment, so that Julia almost expected her to lean down and - 

This night was not going how she’d planned.

Julia had been telling herself this wasn’t a date since Kady had called to ask if she wanted to meet up for dinner. They were going to be friends, that was all. Kady hadn’t said anything about expecting romance, and Julia was with Penny. She’d reminded herself of that firmly as she fixed her hair in the bathroom at work; Penny, who had taken her to meet his family and who had the sweetest smile and most intense eyes she’d ever seen and who’d kissed her for an hour on the beach the other night, slow, lazy kisses that had left her wanting much more.

Thinking of Penny, it turned out, did not make her feel any more comfortable around Kady.

And neither did this restaurant. Julia let Kady lead her inside, through a dark-lit lobby with thick plush carpets and soft classical music playing over the speakers. She expected Kady to give her name at the desk, but the man there seemed to recognize them, because he took them into the restaurant without asking about reservations. They were seated in a small private room in the back, with candles and flowers on the table and a chandelier that sent light flickering in every direction. The man pulled back a chair for Kady, but Kady went in the other direction to do the same for Julia, and the three of them were briefly stuck in an awkward three-way dance until Julia finally grabbed her own chair and sat down just to stop it. Looking relieved, the man handed them their menus and left.

Kady smiled, and Julia thought _she looks nervous._ It was strange; the Kady she’d hung out with last week had seemed like the type who was confident in every situation.

“This is nice,” she said. Even trying to keep her voice low, it came out too loud in the hushed space. It was the thing Julia had always hated most about fancy restaurants growing up, the way every sound echoed. Her mother had always been at her to be quieter, less rambunctious, _don’t make such a show of yourself Julia, you’ll embarrass me._

Julia pushed away her childhood annoyances and studied the menu. The prices made her bite her lip. Whether this was a date or not, Kady had made it clear that this was her invitation, but Julia couldn’t imagine that a courier could be making enough to afford this place. Or was she planning to use magic to get out of the bill? Julia knew plenty of magicians did that sort of thing, but places this high-end usually had wards to prevent it. Magic wasn’t totally unknown to regular people.

A waiter appeared at the table. “Would you like something to drink?” he asked.

“Just water for me,” Kady said, “Julia, do you want wine?”

“Why not?” She started to flip to the wine menu but Kady got there first. 

“She’ll have - “ and then she said a word that had both Julia and the waiter blinking.

“Excuse me?” the man said, faintly, after a moment.

Kady fiddled with the silver pendant around her neck. “I said,” and this time the French name of the wine rolled smoothly off her tongue.

“Ah, of course.” Looking relieved, the waiter fled.

Julia smiled at the other woman, trying to put her at ease. “Someday I’ll tell you about the high school French class where I accidentally called my teacher a pig,” she said.

“Oh? Hah, yeah, that’s, that’s funny.” Kady smiled stiffly. She played again with her necklace. 

“That’s pretty.” Julia leaned forward across the table, peering at the pendant. “Is it a book?” There was something familiar about it that she couldn’t place.

“It was a gift from a friend,” Kady said, and dropped it. 

The waiter came back with Julia’s wine and Kady’s ice water, and took their orders for dinner. That went smoother, and once he was gone, Kady began to relax. Julia sipped her wine and listened to the other woman talk about a movie she’d seen, and from there veer into her love of musicals. “Oh, I was a theater kid too!”

Kady gave her a skeptical look. “I can’t picture it.”

“I was. I only had a lead part once, because high schools have a preference for musicals that is really unfair for those of us that sound like dying frogs when we sing, but I did chorus every semester. And directed once. I was a tyrant.”

“Now _that_ I can see.”

The food arrived, a soup course first. Julia picked up her soup spoon while Kady hesitated, hand hovering briefly over the dessert spoon. “Um,” she said, and then pulled a compact out of her purse. “Sorry, just need to - “ She opened the compact, peering at the mirror for a minute but not doing anything to her flawless makeup, then put it away and reached for the correct spoon. After a few sips, she wiped her mouth neatly and groaned at the stain from her lipstick on the napkin. “Shit.”

“They won’t care,” Julia said, finishing her own soup and setting it aside. She hoped the pasta she’d ordered was more filling. “But you know that fancy spell, remember?”

“Right. Of course.” Kady glanced around, then quickly did the stain-remover spell, leaving the napkin whiter than it had started. “Sorry,” she said. “I don’t know why I’m like this tonight.”

“Don’t worry about it. Can I show you something?” Kady nodded and Julia leaned across the table, holding up one hand so it rested just over the other woman’s lips. She felt Kady’s breath catch, and remembering the night in the diner, felt a little thrill of satisfaction knowing she wasn’t the only one who could get nervous. She curled her hand through a simple series of tuts, just barely brushing Kady’s lips, and sat back. “Now your lipstick won’t smudge.”

Kady gave a shaky laugh. “That’s what they teach you at Brakebills?”

“First thing I learned.” Her hand felt warm, as much from Kady’s touch as the magic.

They finished the next course without incident, but without much talking, and the waiter came to clear their plates. Julia turned down dessert and Kady looked disappointed, though she didn’t object. 

“You don’t seem like you’re having a very good time,” she said when they were alone.

Julia wasn’t having a bad time, but it was true, they hadn’t fallen into the easy back and forth they’d had the other night. Every time the conversation between them had started up, the waiter had appeared or Kady had gotten distracted and started playing with her jewelry. There was no sign of the brash, give-no-shits woman Julia had started to like the other night. 

She thought about making up an excuse about being tired, then said, “Can I be honest? I really appreciate you going all out, but I hate places like this.”

“You do?” She’d expected Kady to be insulted, after all the effort and expense, but that wasn’t the expression on her face. 

“I always dreaded them when I was a kid,” Julia said. “My ex, James, used to get gift certificates to one of these restaurants from his boss every Christmas, and we’d come in just to make fun of them, but that’s the only time I ever liked being there.”

“Wow.” Kady slumped back into her chair. Her body language already looked like it was changing. “So what do you like? You must have a favorite place in the city.”

“Tons of them. But if you want to know my favorite…” Julia paused. “Promise not to laugh or call me a tourist?”

“I can’t promise that.”

“Fine. Coney Island.” Kady broke out in a grin. “What? I like the Ferris Wheel.”

Kady laughed out loud, and Julia didn’t mind the noise at all. “I can’t believe this.” Her eyes sparkled. “Think we’ve got time to get there before it closes?”

Julia grinned back at her. “I know a few shortcuts.”

They got the check, and Kady paid with a black credit card that made the waiter’s eyebrows shoot up, and then they hurried out into the night. Julia grabbed Kady by the hand as soon as they were on the street. “Come on, we have to hurry,” she said, and dragged her down the street towards the nearest metro station. Kady swore and almost fell, and Julia steadied her, but then they were both running, arriving out of breath at the station, where Julia did the tuts to open the portal to Brooklyn.

They had to go through two more portals to make it to the beach, arriving when there was still light in the sky and a line before the Ferris Wheel. “Let’s wait a bit,” Kady said. They got cotton candy, and wandered around, Julia pointing out her favorite rides and games from when she was a kid until Kady reminded her that she’d grown up in New York too. “I liked the skeeball,” she said. “I was always very competitive about it. My mom had this friend with a little boy my age, and I got in trouble because I hit him in the face with one of those balls. But he was trying to screw up my shot!”

“Totally justifiable,” Julia agreed.

They found a stand that sold cheap jewelry. “I used to buy one of those necklaces every time I came here and lose it before I got home,” Julia said, and Kady got a mischievous look on her face and went up to the stand. When she returned, she had a friendship necklace in her hand. 

“We each get a half,” she said, splitting the necklace. 

“Best bitches?” Julia giggled as she put her half on. “I don’t think it really goes with your outfit.”

“It was the only one they had.” Kady settled the necklace around her throat, then removed her own silver pendant. “That thing was always hitting me in the face anyway,” she said. She looked down at Julia and smiled. “Cute. But, um, you’ve got a little…” She reached out, brushing Julia’s nose and coming away with sticky pink sugar foam on her finger. “There. Better.”

“Thanks,” Julia said softly. Once again, Kady hovered just a little too close, and Julia almost closed her eyes, expecting the kiss. But Kady pulled back. 

“We should get in line.”

Julia’s eyes narrowed as she followed the other woman to the Ferris Wheel. That time, she was sure that Kady had felt the tension between them, and refused to act on it. Like she was teasing Julia, or drawing the moment out. 

Julia’s heart beat faster at the thought.

They got on the Ferris Wheel, choosing one of the rocking cars, and rose slowly up toward the now-dark sky. Julia shivered as the wind off the water cut through her light-weight jacket, and Kady murmured, “cold?” and slipped an arm around her. _That’s a line,_ Julia thought, but leaned back into it. They didn’t speak as they went higher and higher, the rocking of the car making their bodies sway into each other. Kady was warm against Julia’s side, her hair tickling Julia’s face. As they neared the top, she said, “This is the point in a movie where the wheel would get stuck.” She gave Julia a sly and very obvious look.

Julia’s mouth twitched. “Oh? You mean, so the couple on a date could kiss?” She turned to look at Kady, just inches away. “Are we on a date?”

Kady laughed. “Uh, did the restaurant not give it away?”

“No, but that outfit was sort of a hint.” Julia let her eyes drop, and was amused when Kady actually blushed. “I just wanted to make sure before I did this.”

She sat up, pulling away from Kady’s arm and getting a small noise of protest from the other woman. They were almost at the top of the wheel, the voices of the other passengers falling away beneath them. Julia closed her eyes, readying her hands, and at the exact moment when they rounded the top, she cast. The wheel groaned to a stop.

She opened her eyes, and the only sight was Kady, framed against the sky. “How’s that?” she asked.

Kady sat up, staring around at the view, a slow smile growing. “Wow,” she said. “This is easily the cheesiest thing someone has ever done for me.”

“What, you don’t like grand romantic gestures?”

Kady turned back to her, eyes softening. “I think I got this one backwards,” she said, then shook her head. “Ignore me. So, there was something about a kiss?”

“Well, yeah,” Julia said. “Kind of pointless to go to all this effort without getting a kiss at the end.”

“We wouldn’t want that.” Kady slid forward and cupped her jaw, pulling her in. The kiss was languorously slow, nothing like the performance from the other night. Kady’s fingers stroked her jaw and neck as they kissed, sending shivers all down Julia’s body. When they broke apart, her eyes were dark and heavy. “That work for you?”

“Not bad,” Julia said. “For a grand romantic gesture.”

She did the tuts to free the wheel before anyone could protest too much, and sat back against Kady’s side, grinning, as they began to descend. As they were nearing the ground, Kady said, “You’ve done that a lot tonight.”

“What?”

“Magic. At the restaurant and to open the portals and now here. What happened to avoiding temptation?”

Julia stilled, thinking it over. She _had_ done a lot of magic tonight, but it hadn’t started tonight. She remembered the mending spell she’d performed back at Beatriz’s house, how it hadn’t been about the magic at all, but wanting to give something to Penny in that moment. And she thought of touching Kady’s lips at the restaurant, of their hands interlocked as they’d run through the portals, of how her heart had raced under Kady’s touch just now.

“I’m rethinking that policy,” she said weakly, and Kady seemed to accept that, but Julia’s mind was spinning.

***

“I cannot believe you took Pete on a date with you,” Penny said. “ _Pete_. Kady, that’s embarrassing.”

“Shut up.” Kady was laughing, though, not looking insulted at all. “He wasn’t _there_ , just on the link. And who else would you go to if you needed someone who could pronounce French wines and knew which fork to use? Pete lives for that shit.”

“I would rather embarrass myself.” Penny shuddered. “But Julia hated it?”

That got a more personal smile, softer, that Penny didn’t know what to do with. It was nice to see Kady look happy like that. She’d been stressed out for months, all her jokes with sharper edges and her smiles hiding something. Even when it was just the two of them, she didn’t fully relax. So yeah, he was glad to see that Julia could give her that, but underneath there was a distinct strain of jealousy.

The ridiculous part was that he couldn’t decide which of them he was jealous _of_.

“She hated it,” Kady confirmed. “But then we went to Coney Island and had a good time.” Her hand drifted to something beneath her shirt. Penny had seen a chain around her neck earlier and wondered, because Kady wasn’t much into jewelry anymore, but hadn’t asked. “We kissed on the actual Ferris Wheel. At the top. You could practically hear the music swell.” Her words were mocking, but they didn’t match the giddy tone of her voice. “Oh, hey, that reminds me. Has Julia been - “

“Hey, guys.” Pete called down to them from the stairs leading up to the mirror stations. “Marina needs to see you.”

Penny got up from his desk, grabbing Kady’s hand to pull her to her feet. Pete gave them an odd look as they passed him on the stairs, then smirked at Kady. “Nice French accent the other night,” he said. “Do you even know what you actually said?”

“Nope, and I don’t care.” Kady patted him on the shoulder and jogged up the stairs. “Thanks for your help though!”

Pete shook his head. “She has been fucking weird lately.”

“She’s happy,” Penny said.

“Yeah, that’s what I mean.”

When he caught up to Kady in Marina’s station, she was standing behind the older woman’s shoulder. Dozens of images flickered all across the room, but on the mirror directly in front of Marina, Julia paced back and forth in her living room, a cigarette in one hand and her cellphone in the other.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

Kady looked worried as she turned away from the mirror. “Julia called Quentin,” she said. “She said it was an emergency.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When we talked about the art, Addy said she wasn't sure about drawing a Ferris Wheel, and then a week later she turned up with the gorgeous piece in this chapter. Because she is that good.


	13. Chapter 13

“I don’t know what to do.” Julia got her cigarette lit on the third try and resumed pacing in front of the coffee table. “I can admit it, Q. I am freaking out a little here.”

“I see that.” Quentin, sitting sideways on the couch with his legs drawn up, looked confused. “I’m not sure I get why.”

“Because,” Julia said. “This is an unprecedented situation and I don’t know how to handle it.” She took another drag, wishing the nicotine would hurry up and calm her down. 

“Yeah.” Quentin reached for the cigarette pack. “But I don't think this qualifies as an emergency.”

“It’s a friendship emergency Quentin! You’ve had enough of them. Support me!”

He laughed. “Okay, okay. Come on.” He leaned forward to pat the couch by his feet. “Sit down and take a deep breath, and then tell me what’s going on.”

She dropped onto the couch beside him, starting to reach for her cold cup of coffee then deciding adding caffeine to the mix was probably a bad idea. “Okay, so, the other night I had a date with Penny.”

Quentin perked up. “Ooh, Penny. Is he still… you know, romantic and sexy and all - “

“He’s still hot, Quentin. That’s not the point.” Julia tried to glare at her best friend, but felt herself laughing at the look on his face. “Yes, he’s wonderful. He took me to meet his childhood best friend, and we had dinner with his surrogate aunt, and then we hung out on the beach and watched the sun set.” Quentin looked like he was getting ready to go find Eliot and drag him to a beach right then. “But then last night, I had dinner with Kady.”

Quentin’s expression immediately shifted to a scowl. “Her.”

“She’s not that bad. Actually,” Julia fiddled with her lighter, feeling her cheeks heating up. “She’s also pretty great.”

“Hmm. What did you guys do?”

“Dinner, which was… I think there were some misunderstanding there. Then we went to Coney Island and rode the Ferris Wheel.” She gave Quentin a significant look. 

“Your favorite,” he admitted. 

“We kissed on the top,” she added, and his eyes widened. 

“Okay, that’s… I mean, that is not… unromantic.” Now he looked like he was going to go find Eliot and a Ferris Wheel. “So you like both of them. I don’t see the problem.”

“Of course there’s a problem. And I’ve been up all night trying to figure out how to deal with it. How to, you know, decide.” She grabbed her laptop off the table. “I made a spreadsheet of different traits, how long I’ve spent with each of them, the things we have in common - “

“Wow. Um…” Quentin scrambled off the couch, pulling the laptop away over her protests. “I don’t think this is the way to go.” He set the laptop off to the side, out of her reach, and sat down closer. “How about you tell me the things you like about each of them, and then maybe some things that aren’t great. Start with Penny.”

“You’re biased,” she grumbled, but she closed her eyes and thought about it. “Penny is… thoughtful. You wouldn’t guess it at first because he’s kind of cocky when you meet him, but he’s always worrying about other people and making them happy. He tries so hard to make every date we go on good for me. He’s sweet, and he’s smart and he thinks really deeply about things.” She opened one eye to peer at Quentin. “Also, Travelers - “

“- are sexy,” Quentin agreed. “As long as you don’t tell Victoria I said that.”

“She’s psychic, Q, and you have terrible wards,” Julia reminded him. “So, yeah, Penny is pretty much perfect.”

“Pretty much?” Naturally, he’d caught that. Sometimes it wasn’t such a great thing having a friend who’d known her for so long he could interpret her word choice that well.

“We’ve been on three dates,” Julia said. “And I know that’s not a lot, but we also text every day. We’ve talked about everything. But I still feel like he’s holding back.” She shook her head. “But I can’t imagine what. He’s told me about his childhood, his relationship with his ex, his daughter. Yesterday he even admitted he robbed a jewelry store when he was younger. He doesn’t talk about work, but, well, Traveler.” They both understood what that meant. “It just feels like there’s something else, some mask he’s wearing around me. Like he’s trying not to scare me off.”

Quentin looked thoughtful. “He may not realize that you aren’t easily scared,” he said carefully. “Queen Julia.”

Julia knew what he meant. She’d told Penny more about her life than she did most people, but she hadn’t told him what it all meant. How she’d learned the hard way just how strong she could be. “I know,” she said. “But I just wish he’d take a risk.”

***

A gust of wind left Penny struggling to breathe. He stumbled and almost lost his grip on Julia’s hand. “Where are we?” she yelled over the roar all around them. Penny could barely see her through the blinding snow, her hair flying in her face. Between the sudden drop in temperature and the noise of the storm, like a jetliner was about to land on them, she felt very far away. He took a step closer and grabbed her, pulling her into his arms as he struggled to orient himself. She buried her face in his chest and Penny tried again to reach out across this strange, silent planet and jump - 

Another shift, and the temperature rose sixty degrees. Julia pulled back, gasping, and Penny scanned her frantically.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I am so sorry. I thought I had the right place, but it’s been years since I was on this planet and there are no minds to reach out for. I missed my aim. Are you okay?” He cupped her still-cold face. “You didn’t get frostbite or anything, did you?”

_Goddamn it, the point was to give her a little adventure, like she said she wanted. Not get her killed._

“I don’t think so,” Julia said a little shakily. “But remember that conversation about giving me a dress code?” She rubbed her bare arms. “I don’t think shorts and a tank top was the right idea.”

Penny, shaky with relief, wanted to laugh, because Julia in shorts was most definitely the right idea. “But it was.” He stepped back, finally looking around to be sure he’d landed in the right place, though the dim light and familiar, smoky heat was sign enough. He spread his arms. “Welcome to our date.”

Julia turned away from him, finally registering the change of surroundings. “Whoa,” she said. “What is this place?”

“I don’t actually know,” Penny admitted. “This planet doesn’t have any people on it, so it doesn’t have a name.” The Library had assigned it a number, but a normal magician wouldn’t know that. “It’s kind of like a volcano? But there’s nothing like it on Earth, so I’m not sure that’s the right word.”

It was a cave, clearly very far beneath the ground but fed air through tunnels that spilled hot steam into the small, carved out space. The ground was rough and slightly spongy; their feet sank a little as they walked. There were cracks in the ground, funnels that gave off even more heat than the rest of the place. The walls and ceiling were crusted with what looked like shiny rocks, but Penny knew when you moved closer that they were actually jewels in a million colors, pale blues and greens down to deep amethyst and rubies, icy diamonds and inky black onyx, all barely visible in the darkness but glowing faintly. Julia moved away from him, tilting her head back to take it all in.

“This is incredible,” she said. 

“I found it when I was training.” Penny’s voice echoed around the cave. He thought about casting a light spell, so she could see the colors in illumination, but he didn’t want to ruin the moment. “Gavin, the guy who taught me, he would just Travel me to random places and leave me there, and the ‘lesson’ was could I get myself back. Most of the places he dropped me were life-threatening, so I picked that part up pretty quickly, but when I jumped, I didn’t always land where I wanted to. I found a lot of weird, out-of-the-way corners of the universe that way. This was one of them.” His boots crunched across the gravel as he followed her, hanging back to let her explore. “You haven’t even seen the craziest part. There are these jets of fire or plasma or something, I don’t know because like I said, the physics is weird, but they come up out of those cracks. Almost got burned up the first time.”

“Scary,” Julia murmured, but she seemed too entranced to really pay attention. She raised one hand to stroke the jeweled walls. Penny did the same on his end, feeling how they were silky beneath his touch, nothing like Earth gems. He wasn’t even sure if they should call them jewels at all. Obviously so many different types couldn’t naturally exist in one place. 

“Hey, Penny, do you - “

The ground beneath their feet rumbled. Across the cave, Julia staggered a little as the crack in front of her widened. 

“Shit.” Penny Traveled across the feet between them and grabbed her arm. “We should probably go. That’s the fire thing I was talking about.” His skin prickled, remembering how it had felt to land back in the Neitherlands with his hair half-singed off. Gavin hadn’t stopped laughing for ten minutes.

Julia looked down into the cracks, where something glowed purple-blue. “That’s fire?”

“Closest word I can find.” He shifted his feet, mind already reaching out for Earth. “Ready to leave?”

“Wait.” Julia raised her hands and ran through a complex series of tuts. Penny recognized a shield charm, but he’d never seen one that intricate. “I want to see this.”

That seemed like an insane idea, but Penny found himself not wanting to say no, maybe because of the eager expression on her face or maybe because of the spell, which he felt settle around the two of them, trapping them in a bubble of air. He settled his hands on her waist, promising himself that he could Travel them both out of there as soon as there was danger. They waited, holding their breath, as the ground continued to shake and the heat rose. And then a blaze of color, a blinding mix of every hue imaginable, surged up in front of them, tossing splashes of burning light in every direction, drenching the walls of the cave. Julia pressed back into Penny’s body and he wrapped his arms around her, squinting but unwilling to look away from the brilliance as it spilled across her shield and enveloped them in color. When the fire died down a moment later, Julia gasped. 

“Holy shit,” Penny murmured, the strangeness of the cave suddenly making sense. “That’s where they come from.”

What had previously been soft sparkles of light crusting the walls had been replaced with the captured light of the flames. Each of the jewels was filled with shimmering light, the colors in hues he had never seen before. Penny raised his hand to the wall and with a simple tut one of the stones, a deep blue with flecks of gold, fell into his palm. He held it out so she could feel the warmth spilling off it.

The ground rumbled again. “Ready to go?” he asked, and this time Julia nodded.

A few seconds later, they landed back in her apartment, thankfully bypassing the frozen mountain. Penny gave her another careful look. “I hope that was okay?” She’d seemed happy, but Penny knew he could have gotten them killed, what the hell had he been thinking…

“Are you kidding?” Julia threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. Penny almost fell over from the enthusiastic hug. “You’re going to have a really hard time topping that date.” She pulled back to beam up at him. “I haven’t gone world-hopping in… forever. I forgot how much crazy stuff is out there. How beautiful so much of it is.” She smiled wryly, more to herself than at him. “And how much more fun it is when you aren’t responsible for saving it.”

“Yeah?” Penny laughed, relieved. He carefully turned his back to every reflective surface in the room and cast a quick spell, then handed her the jewel he’d taken, still warm from the cave. “Here. A souvenir of our adventure.”

***

“So Penny stepped up his date-planning and you got some pretty jewelry out of it,” Eliot said dismissively. “I still think you’re overselling him.”

“Are you kidding?” Quentin leaned across Julia’s kitchen counter to take her hand, studying the new bracelet she’d set her firestone into. “She wanted adventure and she got it.” He shivered. “I mean, personally I don’t miss the days when we were constantly in danger of dying horribly, but if she does - “

Julia swatted him away. “I don’t miss the almost dying part, but I admit, the adrenaline rush was fun. And seeing a place no one has ever seen before? What beats that?”

Her friends both looked like they could think of a lot of things. Quentin and Eliot, she decided, had become way too domestic. If they met a Questing Beast today, they’d probably try to make it a cocktail.

They were all in her kitchen making dinner together, though Eliot was the only one doing any work. He finished plating the meals and set them out on the counter. “What about Kady?” he asked. “I don’t think you’re giving her a fair shot.”

“Just because she bought me a bottle of wine that cost more than most people make in a week?” Julia asked dryly. Eliot had enjoyed that part of the story.

“No, because she horribly mangled the name and recovered from that,” he said. “I can appreciate someone who knows she’s out of her depth and pushes on anyway.” It was a fair point. “Also,” he added, for Q’s benefit, “Julia showed me a picture.”

“There’s a picture?”

Julia got her phone out and flipped to a selfie she and Kady had taken after the Ferris Wheel ride. The angle meant it really didn’t do Kady justice, but it captured her wide smile and incredible eyes. She handed the phone to Q, and watched his face contort through the expression that meant he found someone attractive and didn’t want it to be obvious. “She has nice hair,” he said finally.

“I’m not dating her for her hair,” she said. “Kady is loads of fun. She’s sexy and fearless and she went along with that insane scheme to trick James. She’s up for anything. When I’m with her, I laugh so much. And she gets me.” She played with some of the food on her plate. “It’s not a spoken thing, but I feel like everything I say just makes sense to her, even if she doesn’t agree, without me having to explain a lot. Like we’re on the same wavelength.”

Her friends gave that a moment’s thought. “So, no flaws?” Eliot asked finally.

Julia hesitated. “Well, I don’t know if I’d say flaw…”

“Here it is.”

“Kady is kind of … rootless? I don’t know that it’s a bad thing, but her job seems to be a temporary situation and she never mentions wanting to do anything else. She doesn’t like to talk about her family, which, I mean, who does? But she doesn’t seem to have friends either, at least none that she talks about. The other day I asked her what her longest relationship was, and she said it lasted two weeks and she never learned the girl’s last name. She didn’t seem totally clear on the first name. Oh, and she told me she had a fish, but that it died because she forgot to feed it.” Julia bit her lip, looking at her friends. “That’s not a great sign, is it?” Eliot and Quentin exchanged a look and she sighed. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” 

“Does it matter?” Eliot asked. “I didn’t know you were looking to settle down. What happened to our most adventurous queen?” 

“I’m not looking for a ring and lifetime commitment today,” Julia said. “But I guess I would just feel more comfortable if I knew she had something keeping her here.” 

***

“Thanks for coming with me to do this,” Kady said. “I could have gone alone, but I’m just so nervous, you know?”

_Overselling it,_ she thought. Julia looked skeptical. “I’m glad to help,” she said, “but are you sure you’re really ready for a dog?”

“I am one hundred percent sure.” Kady turned away and tried to make her face stop doing this weird overacting thing. She did undercover, for fuck’s sake. She could pull off pretending to be herself, only a version of herself who just wanted to provide a good home to some mangy dog. “I’ve been thinking about it for years,” she said as she led Julia into the animal rescue building. “I just love animals, you know. They’re so… fluffy.”

“Fluffy?” Julia raised an eyebrow. “You do get that they’re a lot of work, right?”

“Sure.” Kady brushed that aside. It wasn’t like she was really planning to take home a pet today. She would just make a show of wanting to see them, decide she couldn’t choose, and walk out with Julia believing Kady had it in her to care about something long-term. Easy.

Penny had made a strange face when she’d told him about this plan. “You don’t need a puppy to prove that,” he’d said, and then refused to explain himself.

The dog rescue was run by Hannah and Harriet’s friend Bender, a quiet young man with glasses and a nervous manner, at least around people. He greeted them with a small, reddish-brown creature in his arms, and seemed far more at ease with the dog than he did with two women. “Harriet said you were coming by,” he said, giving Kady a suspicious look. Kady remembered him as one of the hedges who considered her an interloper.

“That’s right,” she said. “Because of how much I love dogs!”

“Harriet didn’t say that.”

Kady could feel her smile stiffening. “Just take us to the puppies, okay?”

“You seem a little tense,” Julia said as Bender led them down the hall to a room in the back, from which came a cacophony of howls, yips and barks. Julia rubbed her arm. “Are you okay?”

“Fine. I’m good. Just excited.”

It was just that the whole thing was irritating, that was all. Penny got called out for “lacking adventure” and “being too careful,” but none of that had anything to do with the real Penny. It was the act, the Library and the ruse they were playing. No wonder it had been so easy for him to overcome Julia’s concerns; all he’d had to do was be more like himself for a couple of hours, and he won her over. But Kady… she couldn’t say anything Julia had said about her was untrue. And she shouldn’t have minded, because Kady had worked hard to get to the point where she mostly liked who she was, but it grated. Julia wanted someone with friends, and roots, and the ability to commit. Kady wasn’t that person.

She made herself keep smiling as they entered the room full of cages, each with a squirming, wriggling ball of fur inside. They came in every shape and color, and Kady was overwhelmed. Bender dropped the one he was carrying to the floor and went straight to one of the cages, where a large animal that looked more like a pig than a puppy was sitting. “This one is calm,” he said. “His last owner was an elderly woman who died of cancer. He doesn’t have a lot of expectations.” The young man gave her a very judgmental look. “He’d be a good fit for you.”

Kady folded her arms and glared at him. “I’m not a dying old woman.”

“Alright.” He sighed, but moved on to a different cage, this one possibly holding a rat. “This one is four years old. House-trained, so you won’t have to bother.” His tone suggested he didn’t think Kady would bother either way. “She came from - “

“Kady!” Julia squealed from across the room.

Kady spun around, half-expecting that they were under attack, only to find Julia kneeling before one of the cages, probably right in dog pee or something, with her fingers through the wires. 

“Look at this one,” she said. She turned back to them, her whole face alive with excitement. “Bender, can we see this one?”

“That one?” Bender said warily. “She’s only six months old. Puppies like that are a lot of work.”

“Please? She’s so sweet.” Kady wanted to protest that she had not come here to get a dog that would require that much attention, but she couldn’t say no to that expression on Julia’s face, and apparently neither could Bender. He unlocked the cage and lifted out the tiny ball of brown and white fur, placing it in Julia’s arms. It was so tiny that she barely needed both hands to hold it. 

Bender began to drone on about the breed and the type of shots the dog had already had, but Kady didn’t hear any of it, too caught up in Julia’s enchanted expression. The other woman laughed as the dog twisted around in her hands, trying to climb up the front of her shirt, little paws scrabbling. “Aren’t you adorable,” she murmured, stroking its tiny head. “Kady, feel her fur. It’s so soft.”

Kady reached out a reluctant hand, smiling involuntarily. The puppy really was soft. She rubbed behind its floppy ears as the dog, overstimulated at the attention from two humans, tried to nip her fingers while still pawing at Julia’s chest. Its claws caught on a familiar chain around Julia’s neck and Kady, for a second, was flooded with a whole tangle of impossible emotions. 

“I really do like dogs,” she admitted. “When I was a kid, I was always picking up strays. All kinds of animals, but especially dogs. My mom never let me keep them. We were kind of nomadic, you know, and there was no way to take care of them.” She cupped her hand around the puppy’s little head, and it twisted to lick her palm with its warm tongue. “My mom always told me that when we found someplace more permanent, we’d get a dog. And now she lives on a farm with enough room for a dozen dogs, but she doesn’t have one. She told me she was waiting for me to pick one, but I - “ She cleared her throat. “Anyway, yeah. Dogs are pretty great.”

“They are,” Julia said softly. She was looking up at Kady like she’d never seen her before. Kady quickly turned away.

“The dog is ready for adoption,” Bender said. “She’s a mix, so she may get a lot bigger than that, and she has a lot of energy.” He no longer sounded like he was skeptical of Kady’s ability to take care of a living creature, though. Probably he’d been won over by Julia’s enraptured expression too. Kady felt like she was melting every time she looked at her cuddling the thing. 

Julia held out the dog, and Kady reluctantly took it in her arms, feeling like she was going to break it. The puppy gave a contented sigh and curled around itself, breathing softly as it closed its eyes. When Kady looked up again, Julia was watching her.

“What?” she asked, self-conscious.

“Nothing.” Julia went up on her toes, and Kady closed her eyes as they kissed. “Nothing at all.”

Bender cleared his throat, and Kady laughed. “We’re going to take the dog.”

***

“So one of them is a romantic babe who gets you all tingly with life-or-death adventures and the other is a gorgeous bitch who has a soft side?” Margo kicked off her heels and dropped onto Eliot’s lap, stretching her legs across the length of Julia’s couch so Quentin could rub her feet. “I’m not seeing the problem.”

“That’s what I said,” Quentin said. “I mean, not those exact terms. I still say danger on a date is overrated.”

“Didn’t you and Eliot almost die on your honeymoon?”

“Yes. We were almost eaten by cannibalistic trees and you had to come rescue us.”

Eliot smiled, stroking her hair, his other hand reaching down the couch for Quentin’s. “Set the tone for our whole marriage, really.”

“Mmm. Stop distracting him from my massage.” Margo pulled Quentin’s hand away from his husband’s and redirected it to her feet. “My point is, every relationship needs its spice. What’s your assessment of Kady?”

“Bisexual disaster,” Quentin said promptly, then gave a little grin. “That’s not a bad thing.”

“No, it isn’t,” Margo agreed, kicking him.

Julia sighed loudly. “Could we focus, please?” For once, though, watching the three of them cuddled on the couch didn’t fill her with a restless dissatisfaction. It just reminded her that she had dates next weekend with both Penny and Kady, and that was unfortunately days away. “I can’t keep stringing them on like this. I have to make a choice.”

Margo gave her a more serious look. “Have you considered just telling them the truth?” she asked. “That’s what I do with the people I’m seeing. No point getting their hopes up about it being exclusive.”

“Yeah, Jules,” Quentin said. “We may not be the best people to give you advice.”

“Well, who else am I supposed to ask? You guys are my best friends.” She tapped her fingers on the arm of her chair impatiently. “I just wish there was something that gave one of them the edge, you know? But especially in the last week, it’s like they’ve both been exactly what I’m looking for. I mean, I would never have guessed that Penny could be so adventurous, and Kady… I swear she had no intention of buying a dog the other day, but once we were in that place she just changed. They’re both so good for me. Just in very different ways.”

“Like they can read your mind,” Quentin said, and frowned. “Oh, wait, Penny can, I guess.”

Julia brushed that off. “My wards are strong. I doubt he could get through.” Though that reminded her of her other suspicion… but Julia had resolved to ignore that for now. “There’s only one thing I haven’t tried.” She knew she looked embarrassed. “I haven’t slept with either of them.”

Margo sat up, practically knocking Eliot in the face with her head. “Yes!” she said. “That’s it. That’s what you need.” She noticed the silence from the others in the room and shrugged. “What? She knows she’s compatible with both of them in every way except sexual chemistry. Clearly she needs to do a test drive.”

“Please don’t compare my dates to cars, but yeah, I think so.” Julia bit her lip. “Is that awful?”

“No, it’s perfect!” Margo overran whatever the other two would have said. “Don’t settle for anything less than you deserve, Julia. I never do.”

“Good to know.”

Her friends got up to leave a few minutes later. “I was out late last night,” Margo said, explaining.

“With your new girlfriend?” Quentin teased. “When do we get to meet her?” 

“Patience, Q.” Margo grinned. “I think you’re going to like this one.” Julia decided she was probably imagining the undertones in Margo’s voice.

She pulled Eliot back as the others headed for the door. “Hey, I wanted to ask you for a favor.” She grabbed the envelope she’d sealed earlier in the day. “Can you give this to Henry for me?”

“Sure.” Eliot took the envelope. “What’s it about?”

“Nothing important.” It was probably nothing. Just because Penny was so in tune with everything she wanted him to be, just because Kady seemed so eager to understand her, just because she found herself telling them things she hadn’t spoken out loud in years, just because Victoria had sensed something in the apartment that night… None of it had to mean anything.

But just in case. “I want to ask him to call in his contacts for me,” she said. No one was more connected than Henry Fogg short of the Library itself. “I need him to look into a couple of people.”


	14. Flashback #3

The grounds above the Library were bare and quiet in the short Neitherlands night. Kady sat on the edge of a dry and abandoned fountain, picked at random because no one remembered any longer where it had gone and so they wouldn’t bother her there. The Neitherlands gave passage to every world in the multiverse, including some that had been dead for centuries, but the Librarians were just bookkeepers. All they did with their stuffy books was pin knowledge to a page and lock it away from the people who might use it for something worthwhile. They didn’t actually remember any of it. Kady guessed that half the worlds these fountains went to didn’t have names that the Library knew. They were the ones that only had a single guard stationed at them instead of the lines of Agents going through. The fountain she was sitting on went to a world that had probably died without these Librarians even bothering to do more than mark its passing.

They thought about people’s lives that way too. Just events to be written down and collated and filed properly, but who cared about the people themselves. Who cared about what magic did to them, what the Library did? 

Except Kady. They cared about her. Kady was _special_.

She kicked the side of the fountain with disgust.

_Passionate_ was the word Director Rowe had used when he recruited her a few weeks ago. Kady thought at first he was hitting on her, just another gross old man, but he’d barely noticed when she sneered at him. _You care deeply, and you want to fight for people,_ he’d said, like he knew her. _The Library can give you that opportunity on a scale you can’t imagine._

_I just want to know that the woman who got hurt on our heist will be okay,_ she’d said.

_She’s fine,_ the Director said. Kady had no way to know if he was telling the truth, of course, but she thought he probably was. A random woman’s death wouldn’t be worth enough to him to lie about. Just another note in a book, another volume coming to an end.

There had been a lot of other stuff, about Hannah’s debts, about Marina’s coven, who were all about to be Marked, about the hedge community back home. Vague blackmail delivered under the guise of “opportunity.” Kady had known she would give in from the beginning, because what choice did she have, but Director Rowe seemed to enjoy his speech, so she’d let him deliver it. 

In the end he’d said, _we’ll have to get you cleaned up, of course. We can’t have any incidents like the one during your little heist this morning._

_That was this morning?_ was all she’d been able to think. It had felt like days ago. Her life had already succumbed to the Library’s displacement from time. In the weeks since it had only gotten worse, like she was drifting away from everything.

The Neitherlands night didn’t help with that problem. Kady tilted her head back, staring up at the swirls of bright gas far above, the moons peering through even though the sky wasn’t really dark. She’d come out here every night since her training had begun, to get away from Pete’s complaints and Marina’s scheming, from thinking about how she’d ended up here, from desperately wanting to get high and stop thinking at all. 

She didn’t realize someone had joined her until he tripped into the side of the fountain and swore.

“What do you want?” she asked, on the defense automatically. If it was Pete, sent by Marina because he couldn’t seem to wrap his mind around not being her lackey anymore, she was going to punch him. If Marina had come herself… well, Pete wasn’t the only one who had a hard time letting go of old dynamics.

But it was that other recruit, the guy she’d fought in training that afternoon. The Traveler. “Not here for you,” he said, and dropped onto the ledge beside her. He had a bottle of whiskey in his hand, which he’d obviously broken into already, and which he shoved in her direction. “But have a drink.”

She twisted around to study him suspiciously. “Is that some kind of pick-up?” The Traveler never talked to the newer recruits. Kady wasn’t intimidated by him the way most of them were, because no one could be intimidated by someone who couldn’t even cast a force spell correctly.

“No,” he said. He blinked at her a little blearily, seeming to finally recognize her, and nudged the bottle closer. “Call it a peace offering.”

She snorted. “I was the one who kicked your ass today, remember?”

“You didn’t kick my ass,” he protested. “You… gently pummeled… my ass.” That made her smile - she hadn’t expected him to be funny, with the way he went around glaring at everyone all the time - and he smiled back. “Okay, yeah, every inch of my body hurts. Are you happy?”

“A little.” She shifted enough to lower one of her legs to the ground. This was probably a terrible idea, but that was the first time she’d laughed since coming here. “Then shouldn’t I be the one getting you a drink?”

“You can steal the next round.”

“Hmm.” 

She eyed the bottle. She hadn’t touched anything, though she knew the opportunities existed, since she’d come to the Neitherlands and a magician named Cyrus had blasted every craving from her body with the most painful “healing” spell she’d ever experienced. The physical symptoms hadn’t come back. Her mind was more resilient. 

She wondered for a second if the Traveler knew any of that, being a mind-reader and all. Kady had been warding her mind since she was six years old, but it wasn’t like she’d ever tested those wards against a real psychic. Maybe he was trying to trick her, or undermine her, or take advantage. But if so, there was nothing in his eyes to give that way. He looked curious, maybe a little amused, but that was all.

“Even if you don’t like me, you’ve got to like whiskey,” he said. He took a long swig, then held it out. “If you want, I’ll even leave you alone with the bottle.”

She didn’t really believe that, but the offer was reassuring anyway, and with the bottle open right in front her… She took it from him and drank a long swallow, shuddering as the warmth flooded through her with a mix of relief and guilt. “That’s good,” she admitted after a stretch of silence.

“Phyllis always has the best.”

“Phyllis, really?” _Steal the next round,_ she remembered he’d said, and laughed. She hadn’t thought he was serious. “Are you trying to get yourself kicked out of this place, stealing from a Senior Librarian?”

He shrugged. “It’s not so terrible here,” he said. “Three meals a day, roof over your head. I’ve had worse.”

“Fair,” she said. “Too bad about the whole thing where we’re working for an organization that’s keeping magic from people who have every right to it, but yeah, the food is good.”

“What is that, the hedgewitch recruitment speech?”

“Something like that,” she said, and then fell silent.

The Traveler - Penny, she thought his name was, and she should really call him that if she was going to get drunk off his delicious stolen whiskey - relaxed back on his arms, not speaking except for a murmured “thanks” as they passed the bottle back and forth. Kady found herself not hating him being there. It was nice to sit out in the semi-dark of what passed for night in the Neitherlands with someone who didn’t look at her like she was a screw-up or a tool to be used until it inevitably failed, who probably wanted something from her but wasn’t pushing it. Kady couldn’t remember when she’d last just sat with someone like this. Maybe not since she was a kid, and Harriet would take her away from the coven meetings when they got too wild, and they would climb up on top of Hannah’s trailer and Harriet would tell her stories about the gods in the stars.

She wondered if the hedges who’d been Marked had told Hannah about the contract she’d signed, if Hannah had told Harriet. 

She wasn’t sure exactly how much time passed, but the volume in the bottle seemed to go down quickly. At some point, she thought, _I should stop_ , but by then she was warm, and her thoughts were fuzzy, and the urgency of that was far away. “God, I haven’t felt like this in months,” she said. She set the bottle down and slid off the edge of the fountain to lean back against its side, closing her eyes. She could feel his eyes drawn down to her, but she ignored that for now, though a little part of her, one she _really_ shouldn’t listen to, woke up under that attention. “Almost as good as a fix.”

He laughed, but it faded awkwardly as he realized she wasn’t joking. “Oh? Yeah, I feel that,” he said. He slipped off the edge of the fountain too, settling beside her. “I tried all kinds of stuff to shut out the voices, back home,” he admitted. “Can’t remember the last time I just got drunk with a friend for fun.”

And there it was. “We’re still not friends.” She turned to look at him, getting ready to set the boundaries. “And this is not the part where I share my damage if you share yours.”

“Wasn’t asking you to.” 

She rolled over onto her knees, slightly clumsy, and peeled off the jacket she was wearing, tossing it aside. “You’re psychic?” she asked. Everyone knew he was, but it suddenly struck her as funny, that they wouldn’t need to go through any routine. He should just know what she wanted, and what she didn’t. Simple.

“I hate that term.”

“Mind-slut, then. Can you read my mind right now?”

Whether he could or not, he clearly read her intentions as she swung her leg over his waist and settled her weight on his lap. “Oh, yeah? Okay.” He laughed as she fit them together and felt him react. 

“Go on,” she said, leaning in to whisper in his ear. “What am I thinking?” She traced her fingers around his throat, scratching lightly. She wondered what she would do if he really had an answer. She wasn’t drifting anymore; she felt locked in her body for the first time since she’d come here, grounded and real, and she wasn’t sure she wanted to know what was going on in her head.

He leaned up and bit at her earlobe, a ticklish gesture. “Yes,” he said. “Until you pass out and then again when you wake up.”

She laughed, relieved. “Alright,” she said. “Let’s try that.”

***

He was late for breakfast the next day, because one of the Librarians had asked him to blip over to the Stacks and pick up a book for her, and by the time he got there Alice wasn’t at their usual spot. Penny got his food and was about to find a corner to himself when he noticed a familiar mass of dark curly hair at one of the longer tables. Kady was sitting with her hedgewitch friends, her back to him, but even the sight of her hair made him grin.

_Idiot_ , he thought, but he still made his way across the cafeteria.

The other two hedges, the woman who had been their leader back on Earth and a tall blond guy, were sitting together on one side of the table, with Kady across from them and an open seat beside her. Penny dropped into it, setting his tray down. “Morning,” he said to Kady, ignoring the disdainful confusion from the other two.

She didn’t look happy to see him, or anyone. Her eyes flickered briefly in his direction before turning away without saying anything. She had a cup of coffee in front of her, no food. “Rough night?” he asked softly. “My head is killing me.” She didn’t respond. Penny bit into his breakfast, which was just a mix of everything salty he could find. Phyllis liked her whiskey strong and so smooth you didn’t notice how much you’d drunk until later. “Think you’re going to visit the fountain tonight? Cause I was thinking, I could really use some time out of this place. If you wanted to look - “

“Stop it.” She spoke at a normal volume, startling him. Across the table, the other two hedges paused in their conversation to listen. Penny turned to see Kady glaring at him, the spark of her eyes dulled. “Just stop, okay?” she said. “Last night was fun, but this isn’t - I’m not your fucking girlfriend, alright?” The man across the table laughed, and the woman slapped his arm. Kady ignored both of them, picking up her coffee cup to drain the last of it.

“Didn’t think you were,” Penny said. “Not sure why you’d think I was looking for that.”

“You made it clear what you were looking for.” She pushed to her feet, shoving her chair back. “Have a nice day.” She stalked off across the cafeteria, shaking her hair forward to hide her face.

Penny turned back to his food to find the other two hedges staring at him. The man was openly amused. The woman had an odd look on her face. 

“Pete, you’re done eating,” she said. The blond man tried to protest, but she snapped her fingers and he got up with a sigh and left too.

“Wow,” Penny said. “Just so you know, I’m not done with my food, so don’t try that.”

The woman stared at him for a long time. “I’m Marina,” she said finally.

“Penny.”

“Right. The Traveler. People talk about you.” 

Considering Penny hadn’t made any friends at the Library other than Alice, who didn’t talk to anyone, he found that a little hard to believe. “Okay,” he said.

“Don’t fuck around with Kady.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” Marina waved her hand. “I don’t know what your deal is. You like to pick off the ones who stray from the pack, you have a nose for damaged girls - “

“Whoa.” Penny stared at her. “What are you talking about? What Kady and I do is none of your business.”

“Kady’s one of my hedges, that makes her my business.” Marina had an odd manner to her, every expression and gesture exaggerated. “Look, I’m sure you’re a totally nice magician who just happened to get arrested for something he didn’t do, but you don’t want to mess with Kady.”

“Seems like that’s her decision,” Penny said. “And I’m not sure what she told you - “

“Oh, she didn’t tell me anything. Call it a hunch. I’m an excellent observer of human interactions.”

“Uh-huh. Well, Kady seems like she can handle herself.”

“She can. Will she, is a different matter.” Marina stared at him for a long minute, unblinking. Penny had once faced down a cobra when Gavin blipped him in front of it, and this was only slightly less creepy. “She doesn’t need some guy putting a lot of expectations on her.”

There was something real in Marina’s voice that made him pause. “Look,” he said. “I don’t know her, alright? She’s one of the few people around here who’s not a Library robot or so afraid of putting one foot wrong that she’ll run to the Librarians if I make a joke. She kicked my ass in training. She’s interesting. But I’m not going to put anything on her she doesn’t want. I’m not trying to hurt her.”

“You know, I believe you,” Marina said. 

“So if you’re her friend, you don’t need to worry. She doesn’t want me around, I’m not around.”

Marina smiled wryly and stood up. “I’m not her friend,” she said, and walked off, leaving Penny wondering if that was a hedgewitch move. Just drop some witty line and disappear. 

When he got up to the surface that night, Kady had chosen the same fountain, which he decided to take as a good sign. This time, he made a point of appearing in front of her, and she didn’t look surprised, though she also wasn’t as angry as she’d been that morning. Penny guessed her hangover had finally faded. 

“Another stolen gift?” she asked. “I don’t need any more peace offerings. There’s nothing to apologize for.” If anything, she looked a little guilty, and more than a bit pissed off about it.

“I know.” He set down the item he was carrying beside her knee. “Just a gift. No strings. I’ll leave you alone. Find my own fountain.”

He started to walk away, but she called him back. “What are these?”

“Hmm? Oh.” He looked down at the plate resting on the fountain. “Cookies.”

“You… made me cookies?”

He laughed. “No, that wouldn’t be much of a gift.” He nodded at the plate. “Stole them from Zelda. Her daughter makes them for her and sends them through one of the chutes.”

“These are the Head Librarian’s?” She stared at them for a long moment. “And what do you get?”

He shook his head. “Kady, no. That’s not what this is about. I don’t know what you thought last night was - “

“Last night was fun. We were both after the same thing. I guess that’s what you want now?”

“No. I was thinking more of a friend.” 

She laughed roughly. “I don’t need a friend.”

“Maybe I do.” He held up his hands against her incredulous expression. “But it doesn’t need to be you, I get that. Just, eat the damn cookies and I’ll leave.”

She sighed. “Fine.” She picked up one of the cookies and bit into it, closing her eyes briefly with pleasure. They stood there silently while she ate half the cookie, before she finally growled, “Will you just take one already?” and he took one from the plate.

“These are amazing,” she said a minute later. “Almost like... “ Her voice trailed off. Penny didn’t push. Maybe that was a test, because after a moment she relaxed and sat back down on the fountain’s edge. Penny sat carefully beside her.

“Look,” she said. “I don’t know what Marina said about how I screwed things up for her coven -”

“Nothing,” he said immediately. “And I wouldn’t listen if she did. That girl is weird.”

“That girl’s dangerous, but yeah, also weird,” Kady said. “But she wouldn’t be wrong. I’m not friend material. Or girlfriend material, or anything like that.”

“I don’t believe that,” he said. She started to protest, but he overrode her. “Look, I don’t really do a lot of this, okay? I’ve got one friend here and I still don’t even know how she ended up at the Library. But we’re stuck here for the next decade and… I don’t know. Seems like it would be a little better not to go through it alone?” He shrugged. “If you want. Offer’s out there.”

“To be allies?” 

“Sure, call it that.”

She nodded slowly. “And there are cookies in that for me?”

“All the cookies I can steal.”

She pulled one leg up, hugging it against her chest and resting her chin on her knee. “If it’s just cookies.”

“Maybe someone to practice battle magic against.”

Kady had a really beautiful smile, which Penny refused not to notice even if he wasn’t going to do anything about it. “Oh, I get it. You just want tips so you won’t keep having your ass handed to you.”

“Now you get my real motives.”

“Okay. Cookies and tips.” She grinned ruefully. “I guess I can handle that.”

***

Margo opened the apartment door with a wide, playful grin and a pose. “The graduates are here!” she yelled, though Julia doubted anyone could hear her over the pounding music.

“Not graduates quite yet,” Julia pointed out. “We’ve still got a few weeks to go.”

“And finals, and dissertations, and at least three more chances for Sunderland to flunk me - “

Margo pushed past Julia to give Quentin a hug. “Stop babbling, Coldwater, and say hello.” Her embrace seemed to go on for a long time, considering she saw Quentin every weekend when he came to the city to visit Eliot, and at one point he jumped, like she’d grabbed his ass. Julia raised an eyebrow when she finally pulled back, and Margo gave her an unrepentant grin. “I think I’m making your best friend jealous,” she said, and leaned over to plant a kiss on Julia’s cheek before wrapping an arm around each of them. Margo at a party was a lot more affectionate than usual. “Now come on. No more school worries tonight, we’re celebrating.”

More than half the space in the apartment that Eliot and Margo rented - or, possibly, enchanted into existence, Julia suspected she didn’t want to know the financial details - was taken up by an enormous sunken living room with a bar at one end, and the rest was a marble-and-steel kitchen. The guests were all clustered around the bar or the tables laid out with food and what looked like a prime selection of magical smoking instruments. The huge set of French doors at the back of the room opened onto a rooftop deck with a stunning view of the city lights below; only the faint shimmer around the doors indicated that it was actually a portal onto a hotel eight blocks away. The decor was changeable. Right now everything was navy with touches of gold, to coordinate with Margo’s dress.

Their friend led them down into the living room, where Eliot waited with a tray of drinks in hand and a kiss for Quentin. “Welcome to the latest iteration of our home,” he said, handing over the glasses. “Food’s out, watch the brownies unless you’re planning to sleep through the next week. Bathroom’s been moved to behind the kitchen wall; what used to be the bathroom is now a portal into a pocket dimension with a sort of hippie meditation space in it. Margo’s dating a psychic for some unfathomable reason.”

“Dating?” Margo made a rude sound. “I slept with her twice. I just like the ambiance. Relaxation is good for the skin, El, you should try it.”

“Did you say something about brownies?” Julia interrupted, knowing this sort of loving bickering could go on all night. “Does that mean - “

“Julia’s hungry, Eliot, get her some of those incredible gnocchi you made.” Margo flashed him a little pout, and Eliot rolled his eyes but headed obediently for the food table. Quentin started to follow, but Margo grabbed his wrist tight enough to make him wince. “Get some for Q too!” she yelled in Eliot’s direction, then dropped her voice. “Yes, the brownies mean Josh is here. Let’s go find him,” she said, and began dragging them up the stairs towards the bedrooms.

“Why don’t you want Eliot to know we’re going to see Josh?” Julia asked, exchanging bemused looks with Quentin as they were pulled along. She’d never met two people more intertwined than Eliot and Margo, but since they’d graduated they seemed to play more games against each other, always plotting and scheming and coming up with deceptions to trick each other. Julia got the impression they were bored, though when she’d asked Quentin if either of them had any plans for the rest of their lives, he’d blushed and implied that they were waiting for him, like they’d gone into stasis being separated for a year while he finished school. 

Which was none of Julia’s business. Just because she’d never felt the urge to entangle her life that deeply in someone else’s didn’t mean it wasn’t a valid choice. Especially if you didn’t have to worry about paying the rent.

“I’m not hiding anything from Eliot,” Margo said. “I’m delaying telling him, that’s all. You know how he gets. _Ugh, Bambi, why all the nerd shit?_ ” she drawled in a pretty decent imitation of Eliot. “ _I get enough of that from Q when we’re roleplaying._ ”

“Wha - I - what nerd shit?” Quentin stammered, adding, quietly and for Julia’s hearing, “And we only did that once.”

“At least twice that I remember,” Margo corrected, then took pity on him. “You’ll see what I’m talking about in a minute.”

The pocket-dimension Eliot had mentioned turned out to be a surprisingly large, if dim space. Margo opened the door with a flick of her fingers and the three of them stepped through into a space of vaguely defined proportions, the walls appearing to be little more than gauzy curtains lit from behind with jewel tones. The floor was pillow-soft beneath their feet, making Julia wobble a little even in flats and grab Quentin’s shoulder for balance, though Margo, naturally, walked across it with total ease. At one end of the room was a low couch, deep enough for four or five people to all fit facing each other, and on the couch were a couple engaged in - 

“Maybe we should come back?” Julia asked, looking politely away.

“Ugh, these two.” Margo grabbed a spare pillow and swatted at the couple. “Get up and get your clothes on, Hoberman! Julia and Q are here!”

Josh - because it was him, looking just the same as ever, right down to the totally unashamed grin - tugged his pants back into place and got up to give them hugs. “It’s been forever, guys!” he said. “How’s Brakebills treating you?”

“You know, final year and all,” Julia said, and Quentin added, “So, stressed out of our minds.”

“I’ve got something that could help with that,” Josh started, then cut off when he was hit again by Margo’s pillow.

“Drug dealing later,” she said. “We’re here for a reason, remember?”

“Right?” Josh gave a slightly befuddled look in his ex-girlfriend’s direction, then widened his eyes. “Right! Uh, Q, Julia, I’d like you to meet someone. This is Victoria. She was at school with us, but I doubt you met then.”

“Psychics don’t do much mingling,” the blonde girl said as she stood, pulling her shirt back on.

“It’s too bad,” Margo said. “We could have had a lot more fun back then.” There was no mistaking the look she gave Victoria - or the easy, jealousy-free smile Josh gave them both - and the pieces fell into place.

“Right, this is the psychic - um, Eliot mentioned - you know what, not my business. So what did you want to talk to us about?” Julia hoped it wasn’t an orgy.

Margo’s expression turned businesslike. “Right,” she said, clapping her hands like she was about to start a meeting. “Let’s get on with this before Eliot comes looking and says we’re crazy.” She sat down and the others settled around her. “Victoria,” Margo announced with a dramatic pause, “is a Traveler.”

“Really?” Julia looked at the other girl with newfound interest. Psychics were common at Brakebills, but Travelers, their magical-creature cousins, were almost unheard of. “You can do instantaneous portalling?”

“Really.” Victoria preened slightly under the attention. “Though it’s not really about making portals. It’s true teleportation. And I can take people with me.”

“Like dating an Uber,” Josh said, winning a less-thrilled look. 

“Victoria’s not just any Traveler,” Margo said. “She’s the most powerful one to ever graduate from Brakebills. Her dissertation was on inter-dimensional Travel. She specializes in unmapped worlds.”

Julia raised her eyebrows, impressed. The existence of other worlds was a given, and there was a course on the Neitherlands, the World Between Worlds, offered to Third Years, but the limitation was that the Library controlled travel between them, and they heavily restricted it even for the small handful they had fully mapped. Dean Fogg had once told her that the Library estimated there were thousands of worlds for every one that they’d mapped. There were theories about the possibility of finding other worlds without going through the Neitherlands - Eliot had done his dissertation on one, building off the portal-making spell they’d half-drunkenly sketched out on a bar table the year before, and Julia’s own work was focused on a similar concept, creating magical channels between dimensions to draw on untapped sources of power. But that wasn’t the same as just being able to appear in one.

“Margo’s exaggerating, a little,” Victoria said, in a tone that suggested she wasn’t really at all. This was clearly a girl confident in her own power, which Julia could respect. “Traveling to a totally unknown world takes a lot of trial and error. It’s so much easier when I have a map.“ 

“Where do you get Traveler maps?” Quentin asked. 

“From the Library,” Victoria said.

The Library was the central organization of the magical world, but very few ever got to go there. Julia knew of one older student from the Knowledge House whose mentor had taken her for a trip there, but generally the place was accessible only to Librarians and master magicians, who studied for decades to earn the right to a few hours among the most powerful texts in the universe. Most people who actually had contact with the Library were those who’d broken one of the laws that governed the magical world; Dean Fogg had always warned Julia about them, during his many lectures after one or another of her experiments had proven more radical than he preferred.

“You have access to the Library?” she asked doubtfully.

Victoria exchanged an amused look with Margo and Josh. “Of a sort,” she said.

“She means she stole a map from someone who stole it from the Library,” Margo said. 

Victoria didn’t seem to mind her story being undersold. “You kids up for a little post-graduation trip?” she asked.

Beside her, Quentin went very still. Julia turned to see him looking at Margo with - she honestly couldn’t say if it was a hopeful or fearful expression. “Q?” She rested a hand on his arm, concerned, but he ignored her.

Margo gave him a slow, delighted smile. “It’s not just any map.” She was still putting on a show for the rest of them, but Julia got the impression she was sharing something particular with Quentin. “It’s one the Library didn’t want anyone to find. That’s why we invited you two. We need our experts.”

Q gasped. “Holy shit.”

“What?” Julia stared between the two of them. “What are you talking about? What are we experts on?”

“We’ve been talking about it… forever, really,” he said, eyes still wide on Margo’s. “I mean, the evidence for it being real is strong, but there isn’t a lot written down. But you - you found it?”

“We found it.” Margo smiled, bigger than Julia had ever seen before. “You ready for this?”

Quentin broke out into a grin to match. “Fuck, yeah.” He turned and gripped Julia’s hands, almost tight enough to hurt. “Jules, we’re going to Fillory.”


	15. Chapter 15

“Are you sure?” Penny asked. “You aren’t missing much.”

Julia, he had learned, had a way of being stubborn that he didn’t know how to resist. She could be smiling and sweet and yet she refused to back down from what she wanted, until eventually he gave in. Like tonight, when what she wanted was to see his apartment.

“You’ve been to my place,” she said, slipping under his shoulder with her arm around his waist as they wandered slowly away from the Japanese restaurant that had become their favorite. “I just want to see how you live.”

“And I want to show you,” he said, stalling. He had only been to Julia’s once, other than the day he’d laid the mirror wards. There had been a movie night after Marina promised to mess with Sheila’s monitoring for a few hours so Penny could get in without the Library catching him: sitting on her couch with her curled up beside him, painfully aware of every inch of skin where they were touching. Every part of him had wanted to say screw the movie and pull her onto his lap, but there was the danger of letting things go too far, and he and Kady had a deal. One which Penny had agreed to. They couldn’t sleep with Julia when she didn’t know who they really were. 

But that was last week, when Julia, though happy to spend an hour kissing after the movie ended, hadn’t been pushing for more. Now…

Even if he hadn’t been standing in the mirror station with an embarrassed Kady and a delighted Marina while Julia outlined her plan to her friends, he would have known what was going on. There was no mistaking the way Julia was touching him more tonight, fingers on his hand when she passed a dish, foot brushing his under the table. Each time they touched she would give him a lingering stare, her meaning obvious. Right now she had as much of her body pressed against his as she could while they walked, and Penny knew that short of Traveling her back to her place and getting out before she could grab him, he wasn’t going to escape this conversation.

He could make an excuse about wanting to wait, he supposed, but Julia would never believe it. It wasn’t like he hadn’t been responding to her all night.

It was okay, though. He and Kady had a plan.

“Alright,” he said. “But I’m warning you, it’s not impressive.” She smirked, eyes wide. “ _The apartment_.” They turned her down a side-street, away from watching eyes, and he took her hand. “Ready?”

“Ready,” she said, and he Traveled them into his living room.

His apartment was a small square, with a kitchen to one side and a half-wall to hide the futon where he slept. The furniture, other than the bed, had come with the place, and Penny had vaguely considered replacing it while he still had the Library to pay for it, but hadn’t gotten around to it. There were a few perks, like a large window along the far wall, that made up for it being the size of a closet. Penny had chosen it because, a week after he’d ended things with Alice, he’d woken up in Kady’s bed, her inches away and smiling in her sleep, and realized that if he kept crashing here, he’d never want to leave. Kady wouldn’t complain, he knew, but the situation would be an awkward reflection of the relationship they definitely didn’t have. So he’d found the first place that would let him move in that day, with just the one bag he’d brought from Modesto, and he’d been here ever since.

A year - which, he realized, was kind of a long time to stay in a place and not consider it home. There were places he thought of with that word, but this wasn’t one of them.

It was more crowded than when he’d moved in, though. There still wasn’t much decoration, other than a few of Charlie’s paintings on the refrigerator, but he had a blanket for the couch and rug down so he could walk around barefoot without freezing. The boxes he’d been collecting from Modesto were stacked in one corner, almost blocking the path to the bed, and since he had no shelves, all the surfaces available were covered with his things. Penny watched, feeling exposed, as Julia wandered around the tiny space, brushing her fingers over items and nodding to herself. 

“Is this a focus?” she asked, picking up a large, egg-shaped black stone from a rickety wooden stand. It hummed slightly under her touch.

“Yeah. I was never much into the typical psychic things, but meditation wasn’t that bad,” he said. “Especially when I was younger and my wards weren’t as strong.”

“I tried meditation for a while,” she said. “I went through a period where I was exploring, hmm, alternate sources of magic, I guess you’d say? Gods.” She looked a little embarrassed, rubbing the palm of her free hand against her skirt, but Penny wasn’t surprised. He’d seen the statues in her apartment.

“Doesn’t seem that weird when you’ve met a few,” he said dryly. “Earth is pretty boring compared to what goes on in some other places.”

She laughed wryly. “Yeah, no kidding. But anyway, meditation was a part of it. I miss it. Maybe I should try it again.” She set the focus down and moved further into the room, continuing to study what she found. “You have a lot of interesting stuff.”

“I like collecting something from each of the places I go.” Penny followed her as she explored. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a photo he’d taped to the wall and quickly cast an illusion charm, turning the image of Kady, lost in thought and not knowing she was being photographed, into one of Frankie as a kid.

“But you don’t like art museums?” She shook her head teasingly. “A man of contradictions, Penny Adiyodi. Well, what’s this?” She turned back slowly, tilting her head to one side with a little smile on her lips. “I think I found your bed.”

This was fucking unfair, he thought. She was wearing a clingy dress and her hair up so the curls fell down around her face, and she had that smile - 

“I’ll be right back,” he said. “Bathroom.”

In the bathroom, he closed the door and turned on the fan, then brought the bracelet with Kady’s charm to his mouth. “Kady, engage the emergency protocols! Now!”

His partner’s laugh echoed in his ears. “Aw, it seemed like you were having fun.”

“I am, which - what?” He pulled back his wrist and glared at the charm like it was her face. “Were you already listening?”

“I was taking little peeks,” she said. “In case you needed help. But you two are doing just fine, even if you did nothing to set the mood.” Penny would have expected her to sound jealous, but instead the tone of her voice was… something else. “I guess we can’t let this keep going, so go back to her. I’ll take care of it.” He could hear some murmuring in the background. “Marina has a plan.”

“Jesus, I do not want to know.” But it wasn’t like he had much of a choice.

He flushed the toilet, then walked back out into the apartment. “Okay. So, uh, we were - oh.” He paused when he came around the corner and found Julia, shoes off, sitting on the edge of the bed with her legs tucked beneath her. “Hi. You look comfortable.”

“I am.” Julia smiled up at him and patted the bed beside her. “Come join me.”

“Yes, okay.” He sat down beside Julia and she shifted a little closer. “Hi,” he said, again. _Fuck, get it together._

“Hi,” she said softly. She reached out and took his hand, pulling it over to rest against her thigh. Penny didn’t resist as much as he could have. “It’s nice to have some alone time.”

“Yeah,” he said, throat dry. Her body was warm beneath his touch, her hair soft when she bent in closer. “It’s really nice.” Kady probably needed a few minutes to put her plan together. He let his hand drift up to Julia’s waist, stroking her lower back, and kissed her. The first kiss was small, closed-mouthed, but Julia quickly took control, more aggressive than she usually was, fingers slipping around his neck as she kissed him with more urgency. Penny brought his other hand up into her hair, tugging until it fell down over her shoulders, using it to turn her head and change the angle of the kiss. Julia shifted, going up on her knees without breaking the kiss, and pushed at his shirt. For the first time, Penny considered that Kady had a point about buttons, because it was way too soon before Julia’s hands were on his chest, and she was making little noises as he moved his lips down her throat - 

An alarm went off. They paused.

“What is that?” Julia asked, frowning.

“Uh… car alarm, I think.” Penny started to get up, to go to the window and check, but she pulled him back. 

“Ignore it,” she said. “We were in the middle of something.”

They had barely started to kiss again when another alarm went off, this one much closer, and then a third. Within seconds, the whole street was blaring with competing whines. 

“What the hell?” Julia asked. “Did someone try to steal every car on this street?” She started to get up, and barely made it to her feet before a shriek erupted somewhere inside the building. 

“I think that’s my neighbor’s,” Penny said. “She has a security system.” He started towards the door, and almost yelled, covering his ears as another sound exploded right over his head.

“Is that the fire alarm?” Julia called from across the room, like they were miles apart instead of just a few feet. 

“I think so.” It _was_ the fire alarm, and within seconds it was followed by his alarm clock, the timer on the stove and the microwave, what sounded like every crosswalk alert on the street outside. The TV came on, some late night talk show host drowned out by the noise, and his laptop lit up with alerts. 

The noise was so deafening that Penny could barely understand Julia as she scrambled off the bed, slipping on her shoes, and yelled, “Let’s get out of here.” He nodded and grabbed her hand, aiming for a building several blocks away.

The noise fell off as they landed on the roof, reduced to just a faint irritation from blocks away. Julia peered over the edge of the building. “It looks like it’s limited to just your block,” she said, then turned back, laughing. “What was that? I’ve never heard of anything like that happening before.”

“Yeah, signals and cell towers - you know what, I have no idea.” She laughed again, coming closer to wrap her arms around his waist. Penny smiled down at her. “Sorry it ruined our night.”

“Hmm, it doesn’t have to.” She swayed into him. “I have an apartment.”

“That’s tempting, but I should probably go back and see what’s going on. Try to turn some things off.”

“I guess.” Julia looked disappointed, but not suspicious, and Penny let out a breath of relief and regret. “Next time?”

“Yeah.” He kissed her, and thought, _goddamnit this investigation cannot be over soon enough._ “Hopefully nothing like this happens again.”

***

“Don’t peek.” Kady stepped behind the smaller woman, hands over her eyes, and guided her through the door, turning her towards the living room.

“I’ve already seen the address of this place, and the doorman who practically wanted some of my DNA to let me in,” Julia said. “I don't know what else is going to impress - oh.” Kady dropped her hands and Julia’s eyes widened. “Okay, I was not expecting… all this.”

It wasn’t the huge, sprawling apartment she was looking at, or the winding staircase up to the second floor, or the walls full of one-of-a-kind modern art that Kady had collected. Kady circled around and grinned to herself when she saw Julia’s focus narrow in on the living room, which she had decorated with small, tasteful displays of roses. She’d pushed back the couch and replaced the usual woven rug with a thick, plush white one, and set out champagne and chocolate strawberries on the low coffee table. There were vanilla scented candles floating in water beside the chocolates, which Kady now lit with a snap. Julia gave a little gasp, like she’d never seen magic before.

“Do you like it?” Kady knelt down on the carpet, trying to appear smooth and not nervous. “Is it too much?”

It wasn’t like she hadn’t brought people home before, but those were random encounters that took a positive turn, and Kady didn’t usually bother turning on the lights on the first floor before dragging them up the stairs, never mind setting a whole scene. She’d had to resort to Google to figure out half of this stuff. There were other items, upstairs, that were more in her territory, but even those had a romantic flare tonight that was foreign.

_And those aren’t going to get used,_ she reminded herself. Penny was going to rescue her before that. She’d just purchased them out of curiosity and possibly an addiction to online shopping, that was all.

But there was no need to rush the calvary in just yet.

“This is incredible, Kady.” Julia looked a little dazed as she sat down beside her, only inches away. “I can’t believe you did all this.”

“Yeah, well.” Kady shrugged. “You deserve it.” It should have felt like a line, but it came out sounding too serious, and she cleared her throat, embarrassed.

Julia’s face softened. “Thank you,” she said again. She leaned in and kissed Kady, then reached for the tray. “Strawberries?” she asked.

“Sure.” Julia held one up and Kady bit into it, licking her lips so she wouldn’t end up with chocolate everywhere. “Yum,” she said, as Julia finished the piece of fruit. “Here, let me pour you some champagne.” She got up on her knees. “It’s non-alcoholic - I hope you don’t mind? I just wasn’t sure we’d use two.” 

“That’s fine.” Julia looked around again as Kady filled two glasses. “This apartment is huge,” she said. “How did you - oh!”

Kady turned around and swore, setting down the glasses. “Toby!” she yelled, as the puppy came flying across the floor, skidding and crashing into Julia’s knees. “I’m sorry. She’s supposed to be locked up, but she keeps finding ways to knock down the gate. Even when I cast to lock it. I swear she’s a puppy magician.”

“I don’t mind.” Julia scooped the puppy up in her hands, letting her lick her nose. “Did you miss me?”

“Don’t let her get near the chocolate. She can’t have that.” Google had also provided a lot of information about dogs, who needed much more monitoring so they didn’t kill themselves in all kinds of stupid ways than Kady had expected. She’d been making Penny Travel her back to the apartment three times a day just to make sure the thing was still alive. “And be careful of the candles, I know she wants to burn this place down. And - oh, no.” Kady lunged and grabbed the dog out of Julia’s hands. “Sorry, just she’s right over your face and that wiggle means she needs to pee.”

“Oh, thanks. Should you take her out?”

“Stan downstairs is usually willing to take her for me. Little moodkiller.” She held the puppy up and gave her a little growl of her own. Toby licked at her eagerly, tail going crazy. When she lowered her down again, Julia was smiling. “What?”

“Nothing.” Julia stood up. “Let me take her down to Stan for you, and when I come up, we can continue what we started?” Julia’s eyes drifted towards the stairs. “Maybe show me the rest of the apartment?”

“Sounds good.” Kady smiled, feeling silly, as Julia scooped up the puppy.

She had barely closed the door behind her when the air shimmered and Penny appeared. “What the hell are you doing?” he hissed.

“Hey, Penny.” Kady grinned up at him. “Strawberry?”

“What - no!” Penny stared at the entire set up of the living room. “What is all this?”

“Seduction.” Kady ate the strawberry herself, licking the chocolate from her fingers. “Turns out, I have been wasting my talents on drunk people in hedge bars. I am good at this.”

“Kady.” Penny glared at her, but she could see him fighting not to smile. “What happened to our deal?”

“Relax.” She stood up and handed him a champagne glass. “I knew you wouldn’t let it get too far. So what’s the plan? Please don’t make me disappoint our girlfriend too much. And don’t destroy my apartment, it was very expensive. Our bosses’ money, but still.”

Penny shook his head, and Kady could see his exasperation shift into fond amusement. She’d seen that expression a million times, but it felt different tonight. _Possibly because you’re standing in the middle of a romantic scene with champagne glasses._ “No destruction,” he promised. “I’m going with a classic.” He tossed back his drink. “But for Julia being disappointed, I’m not sure we can avoid that.” He took her glass away from her and set it down, then grabbed her hand. “Do you trust me?”

“Always.”

He smiled softly. “Good.” His hands were still in hers, and for a second, with him standing so close she thought… _The scented candles are going to your brain._ Instead he leaned in to whisper in her ear, “You know I love you, but those alarms didn’t stop for two _whole days_ ,” and then he pulled his hands free and cast.

Kady’s head spun and she almost fell over. “Wha…” She stumbled, blinking, and he caught her. “A sleep spell?” Her mouth felt thick and her words came out slurred. “Penny, I hate you.”

“Nah, you don’t.” Kady fought to keep her eyes open as Penny wrapped his arms around her and maneuvered her over to the couch, lowering her down. “I’d tuck you in but we’ve got to set the scene. Make this all look natural.” She could hear him moving things around, but her eyelids were already too heavy to lift. He came back, his hands brushing her hair as he shifted her head into a more comfortable position. There was a faint pressure against her forehead. “Night, Kady,” he said.

“Night, asshole,” she tried to reply, but she was asleep before she got the words out.

***

Julia locked the apartment door behind her and kicked off her shoes. “Hey, Kady, Stan said he’d keep Toby for the night,” she called as she crossed the hallway to the living room. “So it’s just… Kady?” She circled around the couch, taking in the two glasses and open bottle of sparkling wine and… “Are you fucking serious?”

Kady was sprawled on the couch, her legs stretched out in front of her and her head thrown back, clearly asleep, with her mouth slightly open. Julia took a step closer and bent over. “Kady? I was only gone for five minutes.” She shook the other woman’s shoulder, but Kady only mumbled in her sleep and turned her head away. Julia sighed and sat down beside her. “So much for a romantic evening.”

Maybe she was cursed. It wasn’t the first time she’d considered it, and it wasn’t like there hadn’t been plenty of enemies in the past who might have done it. But what kind of ridiculous curse could knock Kady out in the middle of one of the most romantic dates she’d been on in years, three days after it caused Penny’s whole neighborhood to explode with noise so bad it had driven them away? “Creative curse, I’ll give them that.” She picked up one of the strawberries and crunched down, reaching for her glass. Absently she noted that Kady had already drunk hers. She must have been using that spell Julia had taught her, because none of her red lipstick had come off on the rim. “Well, this sucks,” she said. “But at least you gave me snacks.”

Maybe the curse could read her mind. Maybe it knew that no matter how much she’d enjoyed both her dates this week, the knowledge that she was trying to get into bed with two people who didn’t even know each other existed as part of a plot to pick one had soured both experiences long before the curse had.

Beside her, Kady mumbled something in her sleep. Julia set down her glass and turned to her. “Kady? You with me?”

Kady’s eyelids fluttered. “Hmm… Jules?”

“Hey. You’re tired, huh?” She brushed some of Kady’s hair out of her face. “I think I should probably go home.”

Kady brought her hand up to clumsily rub at her eyes, clearly trying to wake up. “I’m sorry,” she murmured.

“It’s not your fault. This was really lovely. We’ll do it another time.” She stood up and grabbed Kady’s hands, pulling her to her feet and nearly falling when the taller woman crashed into her. “Whoa!” She wrapped an arm around her waist, steadying her. “Are you okay? You seem really out of it.”

“M’fine. Just work… .stuff… I need to sleep.” 

“Good idea. How about I help?” She guided Kady around the sofa and over to the circular staircase. Kady walked under her own power, but almost drunkenly. “It’s a good thing I went to Brakebills,” Julia said as she led her up the stairs. “I have so much experience getting my friends home after they forget their own names.”

Kady woke up enough to find the enormous master bedroom at the end of the hall, but as soon as she saw the bed she collapsed onto it and started snoring. Julia smiled to herself as she pulled the other woman’s shoes off and tossed them in the corner, then contemplated the rest of her clothes. High-waisted jeans were not comfortable to sleep in… but no, that would be crossing a line.

She tugged at the comforter until she got it free and could cover Kady up, then whispered, “Goodnight.” She didn’t expect a response, but as she turned away, she heard Kady speak.

“Stay.” Kady’s eyes were still closed, but she spoke surprisingly clearly. “Sleep here.”

“Um… I don’t know, do you have a guest room?” She wasn’t excited by the thought of crossing town, even with the portals, this late, but she could text Vi or the doorman could get her a cab- 

“Sleep here.” Kady reached behind her and patted the bed. “Like always.”

“Oh.” Julia glanced at the other side of the bed. It was enormous. You could easily fit three people in there, and whoa, Margo was right and Julia really needed to get laid, because the place her mind had jumped... “That would be nice, but I’m not sure you know who you’re talking to,” she said. 

“Julia.” Kady opened her eyes and looked directly at her. Her eyes were blurry with sleep, but coherent, and very green. “Stay,” she said again, softly. “I want you to.”

Julia took a deep breath. “Okay.” She went into the bathroom and washed off her makeup, staring herself in the mirror for a moment, then returned to the bedroom and pulled back the covers, slipping in. Kady had turned over in her sleep to face her, and she opened her eyes just a little when Julia lay down and smiled. Julia reached out and traced a finger along her cheek, and Kady turned and kissed her palm.

“‘’Night, Julia,” she said, and fell back to sleep.

Julia drew her hand back, brushing over Kady’s where it was stretched out into the foot of space between them. She trailed her fingers over Kady’s, noticing the blunt nails and slight calluses, the tiny scars of someone who had worked with magic for a long time. She curled their hands together. 

“Goodnight,” she said, and closed her eyes.

***

“I can’t believe you knocked me out,” Kady said. “You know that sleeping spells are sometimes considered a form of battle magic?”

“You can complain when it’s your whole neighborhood that’s freaking out.” Penny tossed the little beanbag in his hand up in the air and caught it. It had been almost two weeks since they’d placed the mirror spells in Julia’s apartment, Zelda had given up even pretending she was going to get them a job soon, and he was so damned bored he was losing his mind. 

“At least we kept to our deal.” Kady said. “I can’t believe we’re using magic to keep each other from getting laid. _That’s_ the ultimate form of our partnership.” She raised one hand in a quick spell, and Penny protested as the beanbag disappeared from its arc over his head and rematerialized in her hand. “Where did you get this?”

“It’s part of some game Charlie is playing all the time. The only good thing about this dry spell is Alice asked me to stay over and watch her almost every night this week. Gave me someplace to sleep after you drove me out of my apartment.” He let his head fall back against the chair as Kady began her own game of one-ball juggling. 

“Oh yeah?” Kady grinned. “Does Alice’s girlfriend sleep there too? Hopefully she’s more satisfied than ours.”

Penny made a face. “I’m not sleeping at the house while Alice is there. She’s been out all night. Not with her girlfriend, though, I don’t think. She’s never mentioned her.” It surprised him how quickly the idea of Alice dating had stopped bothering him. “I think it’s work.”

They both shifted their attention towards the conference room where Zelda’s new Reynard Task Force had set up. They’d been sequestered in there for the last three days: Zelda, Alice, Gavin and their “guest,” one Daniel Stoppard, Time Witch, sometimes joined by Director Rowe. Pete had managed to pick up that Stoppard had encountered Reynard and come running directly to the Library. It wasn’t much help, since the Director kept Stoppard under close watch. Penny and Kady hadn’t been able to get anywhere near him.

“Well, she’s certainly finding the time to creep around us,” Kady grumbled. “I swear she’s spying for Zelda. Maybe that’s why she wants you at her place all the time. Keep you under her eye.”

“Maybe.” Penny stretched, rolling his neck. “I dunno, I like the time with Charlie but Alice needs to get a better guest bed. I’m a lot less sore when I crash with you.”

“Yeah? Julia complained the mattress was too soft.”

Penny slid his eyes over to Kady’s desk. She was still tossing the beanbag up and down in one hand, her attention half on some paperwork on her desk, looking like she’d just asked him what he wanted for lunch. Penny didn’t believe it.

“Julia was on your bed?” he asked carefully.

Kady shrugged. “She had to sleep somewhere after I passed out the other night.”

“She _stayed_?”

“It was the middle of the night.” Kady finally looked up and laughed. “Oh, come on, are you pissed about this? Nothing happened.”

“She slept in your bed, Kady, how is that nothing?” 

“It’s not like I could leave her on that couch you’re always bitching about.” Kady slid her chair back, turning to face him. She tossed the beanbag from one hand to the other, grinning. “You are actually mad about this. Penny, don’t be ridiculous. You know that bed is huge. She was like six feet away.”

“I’m not _mad_.” Penny bit down what he wanted to say next, because that wouldn’t make his case. “We had a deal.”

“And I kept it.” She shook her head. “Do you want me to clear you for a sleepover next weekend, so we’ll be even? Fine.” She tossed the toy above her head. “You can even have her in your tiny futon - “

“This isn’t funny!” Penny jumped to his feet and snatched the beanbag out of her hand, dropping it on his desk. “And that’s mine!”

He glared at her in the sudden, awkward silence. The smile slowly faded from Kady’s expression. She leaned back in her chair, studying him, confused and a little insulted. Penny knew he sounded like a crazy person, but there was something here, some emptiness in his chest at the thought of Kady and Julia in that bed, that he couldn’t let himself look at. 

“Are you jealous?” Kady asked. She sounded bewildered.

“I’m not jealous of you.”

“Well, that’s what I thought, but… Penny, it really didn’t mean anything. You literally knocked me unconscious. She was probably just worried and wanted to stick around to make sure I didn’t die in my sleep.” She leaned forward earnestly. “I swear, if it was anything more than that I would have sent her home.”

“No, you wouldn’t have.” He waved a hand at her protest, sighing. “I wouldn’t have either. I get it, but… I was in a relationship for seven years. I know that sharing a bed can mean just as much as sleeping with someone. Sometimes more.” They had been idiots, thinking this could work, but Penny had been especially dumb. He had more at stake here. And he hadn’t expected Kady to get invested too. He sighed. “We need to talk about this.”

Kady turned back to her work. “We really don’t. I get that cuddling is a thing for you, but it didn’t mean anything. It was no different than all the times you’ve crashed with me - “

“Exactly,” he muttered. He didn’t really mean for her to hear that, but she gave him another mystified look. 

“Am I interrupting something?”

Penny jumped. “Jesus, Alice!”

“Sorry.” Alice looked a little offended, but her expression softened as she glanced between them. Kady was staring back down at her desk, expression tight. “Is this a bad time?”

“It’s fine,” Kady said before he could answer. “I’m going to go get some coffee.” She shoved back her chair and stalked off without looking at either of them.

“She seems tense,” Alice said. “More than usual, I mean. Is she alright?”

“How the hell would I know?”

“Who else would?” Alice shook her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I came to ask if you would mind covering Charlie again tonight. She’s having a great time with you.”

“Yeah, no problem.” He waited for her to leave, but she just stood there, looking at him with a worried expression.

“Everything went well last night?” she asked.

“Fine.”

“Nothing I need to be concerned about?”

Alice had asked him that every morning when she finally made it home to Modesto. If Penny hadn’t had years of co-parenting with her, he would have suspected she didn’t trust him around their daughter.

“Nope,” he said.

“Alright.” Alice paused, looking more indecisive than Penny had seen her in years. “If everything is okay… no, you know what?” She turned back towards him. “Zelda thinks there’s no point in telling you, but you’re not her child’s father. Come here.” 

She grabbed his arm and Penny nearly fell over as she dragged him across the floor with surprising force. When they reached the hallway that led down to the fountains, Alice glanced around to make sure they were alone, then began talking very quickly. “The time witch we’ve been interrogating, Daniel Stoppard. He met Reynard, and Reynard made him do a spell. The purpose of it was to find the person who killed his son, only he thinks that was you.” She looked up at him very seriously. “The spell worked.”

“So Reynard knows who I am?” Penny thought that should probably worry him more than it did. Having a rogue magician on your trail wasn’t a great thing, but at this point he thought it might beat hanging around the damned Library all the time, waiting for trouble to find them, or Julia. And it was better for Reynard to target him than Kady. Unless - “Shit, maybe I shouldn’t be around Charlie - “

“No, that’s why - well, not the only reason, I really did need a babysitter - but my house is safe. It’s warded, and we don’t think Reynard knows anything about you except that you’re a Traveler and you work for the Library. We don’t think he’d even know where to start looking for you. It’s not like Library Agents are listed in a directory. You need to be careful, Penny, but you don’t need to be paranoid.”

“Alright. So if there’s nothing to worry about, why are you breaking Zelda’s rules to tell me?” He smiled. “A little of the old Alice coming out?” The Alice he’d first met had been the last person to care about the Library’s rules.

She stared at him for a moment; Penny would have thought she was upset, except that he’d stopped thinking he’d ever known how to read Alice a long time ago. Finally she shook her head. “Zelda knows what she’s doing,” she said. “I trust her.” She sounded like she was talking to herself more than to him. “But sometimes it feels like… Just in case, Penny, you should know, Reynard is more than a regular magician. A lot more.”

“Okay,” Penny said slowly. “What the hell does that mean?”

“And he has an ally,” she went on, ignoring him.

Penny’s heart sank. “Who?”

“That’s the problem. I don’t know.” There was a flurry of motion out of the corner of his eye; they both looked up and saw Director Rowe stick his head out of the conference room door, looking around, clearly impatient. “I have to go,” Alice said, and to his surprise reached out and gripped his wrist tightly. “Be careful, Penny,” she said, and left.

Penny stayed where he was, watching her cross the floor and go into the conference room, and didn’t move until the Director had closed the door behind him. Then he darted across the room to the kitchen, where Kady was standing in front of the coffee maker, staring into space with a distant expression while it percolated.

“Hey,” he said, shutting the door behind him after a quick check to make sure there were no other Agents in hearing distance.

Kady jumped. “Penny, listen, about before - “

“Never mind that.” If his horrible suspicion was right, the chances that at least one and probably all of them were going to get their feelings hurt was the least important thing. “We’ll only get a couple of minutes in private. Go over it again.” He waved a hand impatiently. “The list, come on.”

“Ugh, why? We have nothing new.” He gave her an impatient look and she sighed. “Fine. You start, though. I need caffeine.” She turned back to the machine to pour her coffee.

“Okay,” he said. “What we know: Julia went to Fillory sometime after she graduated from Brakebills. Probably in the first year because it's the only time she’s unaccounted for. At least some of her friends were with her - definitely Gradley, she’s got to be the Traveler, and Coldwater and Waugh. Hanson’s a maybe, Hoberman probably not. Whatever went down there, Julia didn’t have a great experience, and it made her decide not to do magic again.” He thought of that moment on the hill over Whitespire, like he had been for weeks. Julia loved that place, loved magic. What could have been bad enough to turn her away from it? “She came back and went to work for the McAllisters, and now she’s written the spell that will open the portal to Fillory.”

“Her book is connected to Reynard’s by a minimum two steps, so either she knows him or someone close to her does.” Kady said. They’d run the locator spell on Julia’s Brakebills friends and all of them were blacked out except Hoberman and Gradley. Even those two were restricted; Penny and Kady could find them in the Index, but they couldn’t check out the books. And yet all of these people lived very ordinary lives, for magicians.

“Julia doesn’t know who Reynard is,” he paused, thinking of Alice’s odd phrasing, “or what he is. She said so in her notes in the book.”

“She said that years ago,” Kady pointed out. “She told her friend she hadn’t touched that book in a long time. She could have learned everything in the meantime. Maybe she tracked him down and got in over her head - ”

“Or he tricked her into working for him, which would not be her fault,” Penny countered, like he did every time. Half the time he wasn’t sure if he was defending Julia or the mirror image Kady projected onto her. Either way he was sick of having to defend what seemed obvious to him. “And it must have happened in Fillory.” He paced a little, trying to remember what Alice had said. “Julia and her friends, their trip to Fillory happened right when that Chatwin guy was overthrown. So maybe - I don’t know. But Alice just told me that Reynard has an ally. What if it’s Julia?”

“She wouldn’t ally with that asshole,” Kady said.

Penny paused, because that was obvious, but it was a hell of a change in Kady’s perspective too. They really did need to talk about this. “No,” he said. “I don’t think she would deliberately, but maybe if she got caught up in some shit in Fillory, then - “

“God-killing weapons.” Kady suddenly stood up straighter. “Shit, that’s got to be it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Marina told me that Reynard was dealing in god-killing weapons. If that’s his trade, maybe Julia needed one to kill… I don’t know, that Chatwin guy? So she made a deal to get one.” Kady drained the last of her coffee and set the mug in the sink. “It would make sense, right? Like a mafia situation. She needed something pretty simple, she went to the guy who could get it for her, only he turned out to be a lot more dangerous than she thought.”

_More than just a magician._ Penny nodded. “So she left Fillory, left magic behind…”

“Maybe she owes him still.” Kady gave him a grim look. “If she made a deal, it could be magically enforceable. If he called in a favor, she might not be able to say no.” She looked uncomfortable, but pushed on. “Like maybe getting close to you?”

“She wouldn’t do something like that.” He waited for Kady to argue, but she was silent. “Anyway, all magical deals can be broken, somehow, if you know how to do it. And no one knows that better than the Library.”

“So what? We tell her we know she’s involved with Reynard, offer to help her get out of whatever deal she made - “

“No.” The idea was way too appealing, but it wouldn’t work. “There’s too much chance that she’ll just see that we’ve been tricking her for weeks, spying on her, lying about everything - no. If she gets mad and pushes us away, there won’t be anyone left to protect her. We have to keep going like we have been. At least until we know for sure where Reynard is or what he’s making her do.”

It could be anything. It didn’t have to be him. Penny could believe that Julia was a good actress because she was good at everything, but he wasn’t going to believe that the moments they’d shared in Fillory, or on the beach in Florida, or even in his apartment, were an act.

Though if that were true, he realized, whatever had happened between Kady and Julia the other night had been real too.

“If she catches one of us, the other has to stick it out,” he said. “Or if she… if she chooses.”

“She won’t choose, not until she’s had her sex tie-breaker.” But Kady’s joke fell flat. She gave him a wavering smile. “So then _this_ is the ultimate form of our partnership. Date the girl until she won’t have us anymore.” She turned away, absently starting to wash out her mug, clearly just looking for something to do with her hands. “You realize this will probably be the last case we work together?” she said. “Kind of crazy that we’ll spend it protecting a woman we both…”

Her voice trailed off and Penny didn’t ask her to finish. He didn’t think it sounded crazy at all, though. It sounded pretty perfect to him.

He didn’t say that either.

***

“This wasn’t part of our arrangement,” Everett said. “You’re asking a lot.”

The man pacing in front of him twisted with a growl, yellow eyes flashing, and Everett made an effort to keep his face blank. Reynard, he thought, was used to people cowering in front of him. It had been a long time since any of the gods left deserved that, and certainly not this one. Everett wasn’t going to cower for anyone.

Someday, when he came into the power he deserved, cowering could be revisited.

“Your _Librarians_ ,” the sneer was obvious, “killed my son. Any deal we have is null and void if I don’t get the chance to rip out his killer’s intestines and use them to decorate John’s grave.” He switched moods suddenly, from vicious to charming. It was the eeriest thing about him. “Now, if some other Librarian did the deed, well, I’ll be just as satisfied with his name. Your choice.”

Everett sat back in his chair, steepling his fingers and resting his chin against them. He had the two files with him, and he’d made his decision hours ago, but there was no use in rushing to give the demigod what he wanted. The creature was arrogant, without the intelligence or the vision to justify it. Godhood was wasted on beings like this.

There were still things about Reynard that Everett didn’t know. Demigods had books too, but the information in them was often incomprehensible. Searching through the books of those mortals who’d had the misfortune to encounter Reynard over the centuries had proven a more fruitful path to understanding him, and one in particular had been enlightening. The power that came from the combined knowledge of the Library hadn’t been enough for Everett for a very long time, but it _was_ still power, and it had its place.

“I’ll give you your son’s killer,” he said, “but not because I sympathize. You were a fool to trust a hedgewitch’s child.” 

Reynard growled again, but Everett remained cool, and reached for the file, hesitating only briefly before selecting the one he wanted. Getting rid of the Traveler was a temptation - his partner wanted the whole species eradicated, to increase the value of her portals, and Everett always found it best to keep Irene in a good mood - but Penny Adiyodi had a daughter, and that would be a temptation too great for Reynard to ignore. He seemed like the eye-for-an-eye type. And Everett hadn’t trusted Zelda’s pet, Alice Quinn, for years. She was too intelligent, too relentless, always peering around through those glasses like she missed nothing, very much like Zelda had been at her age but without Zelda’s grating but useful desperation to please. Let Reynard touch her daughter, and that might be enough motivation to have Alice unraveling their entire plot before it could be completed.

Better to let the whole lot of them - Quinn, Adiyodi, all the rest of the herd of criminals - continue to serve their purposes until he was ready to deal with them.

He picked up the second file, leaning back before Reynard could grab at it. “The Traveler didn’t kill your son,” Everett said. “She did.” He tossed Kady Orloff-Diaz’s file down on the desk. “She’s another one of our Agents, but we’ve had concerns about some of her connections for a while. Another former hedgewitch. But it’s one of her more recent connections I think you’ll find intriguing.”

The demigod flipped open the file, scanning the pages Everett had copied from the most current section of Kady’s book. His face stilled when he came to the last paragraph, and a delighted smile spread across his face. Everett sighed, a thrill running through him. There were much greater powers in the world, but there was none quite as satisfying as seeing someone’s weakness.

“Julia,” Reynard said softly. “There you are. It’s been a long time.”


	16. Chapter 16

The farmhouse had a twisty layout, like its insides had been dismantled and rebuilt so many times over the years that the hallways no longer lined up correctly, so it took Julia a few tries to find her way to the kitchen. It was too bad hedge witches didn’t know planar compression spells, she thought as she opened a door leading to a boarded-off staircase. Hannah and Harriet could really have used some of Eliot and Margo’s home decorating spells. 

On the other hand, there was something nice about a place that carried all the history of its previous configurations, including the failures, in its scratched floors and crooked passages. It made the old house feel real, without magic to even everything out and smooth over the past.

She finally found the double doors that opened into the long, narrow kitchen at the back of the house. The room was a mess of used mixing bowls and spilled ingredients, and full of the smell of baking. Hannah was at the stove, taking out a tray of cookies, when Julia stepped into the room.

“Oh, sweetie, you didn’t have to do that,” she said when she saw the pile of dirty dishes Julia had brought in from the dining room. She rushed over to take half the stack, nearly unbalancing a precariously placed glass at the top. Julia caught it with a twitch of her finger and a simple telekinesis spell that made the older woman smile. “I appreciate the help, but go outside. Have fun with everyone else! I think they were going to put some music on.” Hannah dumped the dishes in the sink and went back to her tray of cookies, taking down a platter to arrange them on.

“I don’t mind,” Julia said. She leaned back against a counter, crossing her ankles. “Actually, I needed a little break.”

Hannah gave her a worried look over her shoulder. “Did someone say something they shouldn’t have? Was it Richard?” She shook her head. “That man is a brilliant magician, but put a pretty young woman in front of him and he acts like a fool every time. Just tell him to back off and he will. Or tell Kady. She won’t let him get away with bothering her girlfriend.” She winked at Julia. “I know she wants to keep you to herself anyway.”

Julia laughed, surprised that she didn’t feel uncomfortable with Hannah’s forwardness. As soon as they’d arrived at the farmhouse that afternoon, Hannah had taken Julia under her wing like she was another long-lost daughter and not a stranger. Julia wasn't sure exactly what she’d expected from Kady’s mother, but this almost aggressive welcome wasn’t it. It made her wonder about the obvious tension between Kady and her mom, or the much warmer relationship Kady seemed to have with Hannah’s partner, Harriet.

“Richard didn’t say anything,” she promised. “I’m just not the most extroverted person. I’ll go outside later, but I don’t mind a few moments of quiet first. Can I do something to help?”

Julia’s own mother would never have welcomed someone like Kady into her home with the ease Hannah had shown; she also wouldn’t have been so rude as to make her work. Hannah just shrugged and said, “It would be nice if someone took care of the dishes,” so Julia began rinsing them off and loading the dishwasher.

They worked in silence for several minutes before Julia’s mannered upbringing got to her and she had to fill it. “Kady says you have parties like this all the time?” she asked.

“Oh, sure, almost every weekend.” Hannah joined her at the sink, scraping off the baking sheet and splashing some soap on it. “Harriet started them as a sort of - well, think of it more like political meetings.” There was an obvious evasion there that Julia pretended not to notice. “But I said, if you’re going to have that many people around, you have to feed them and entertain them, right? I’m all for serious conversation but you’ve got to have a little fun sprinkled in.”

“Sure,” Julia said. “Though I’m probably more like Harriet. I’ve been accused by a few friends of not remembering what fun is.” 

“Really?” Hannah looked surprised. “I always figured Kady would end up with someone who’d help her lighten up.” A stricken look went across her face. “Oh, not that I’m saying - you girls seem very good for each other. I can’t remember the last time I saw Kady as happy as she is when she looks at you.”

“I really like her too.” _Wow,_ she berated herself, yo _u can’t do better than that for her mom?_ But saying anything more, no matter that it would be true, felt strange with Penny hanging over her head. “And we’ve had a lot of fun together. We kissed on top of a stopped Ferris Wheel.”

She was immediately embarrassed for admitting that to Kady’s mom, but Hannah gasped and pressed a hand to her chest. “That is the most romantic thing,” she said. “Did the Ferris Wheel break on its own, or…?”

Julia shook her head. “I reversed an energy spell.”

“I like you, Julia Wicker.” Hannah leaned back and folded her arms, studying Julia with a warm look in her eyes. “There aren’t many people who can get my daughter to let down her guard. Maybe that’s my fault, but I’m glad she found someone who can get through to her.”

“I’m sure it’s not - “

“It is.” Hannah turned back to her desserts, her tone matter-of-fact. “I made a lot of mistakes, raising Kady. She’s a smart girl, a talented magician, but she’s also a caretaker at heart. And I don’t think I realized until she was all grown how much she felt she had to take care of me. She made a lot of decisions I wish she hadn’t, but I understand why.” She gave a tight smile. “Harriet always says you can’t walk back from a mistake, but you can always go forward, and that’s what I try to do with Kady, but sometimes I wonder if she really wants me trying.”

“So that’s Harriet,” Julia said, then shook her head. “Never mind.” She stuck the last of the dishes in the dishwasher. “For what it’s worth, Kady talks about her childhood like it was a good thing. She loves the hedge world.” She thought of Kady’s anger at the bar that first night. “She’s very defensive of you guys.”

Hannah looked pleased. “That’s good to know. Sometimes I worry she doesn’t feel at home here anymore, and that’s the last thing I’d want. It’s the damn Library, you know?” 

“Why does she work for them?” Julia asked. After seeing Kady’s home the other night, she’d wondered if it was as simple as “they paid really fucking well,” but Kady, for all her high-end appliances and ridiculous art collection, didn’t seem like the materialistic type. And it was hard to believe they were paying a courier _that_ well.

“You mean, why does such an obviously rebellious person put up with those pretentious asshats? Sorry,” Hannah added, though she didn’t seem to mean it. “I shouldn’t assume you’re not a fan of the Library.”

“Oh, I’m not,” Julia said. “Asshats aside, they talk a good game about keeping magic safe, but they’re nowhere to be found when it's magic that would save _people_. They just want to collect the stories in the aftermath.”

Hannah nodded slowly. “You’ll get along with Harriet,” she said. “But Kady, she didn’t have much of a choice about taking the Library job, or at least she thought she didn’t. It’s that caretaker thing again. Harriet and I aren’t the kind of people the Library likes much, you know?” Julia had only a vague idea of what she meant, but just nodded, sensing she’d gotten close to the kinds of questions Kady wouldn’t want her asking. 

It made her nervous, though, that Kady might have obligations to someone she couldn’t trust.

“It just surprised me,” she said. “Her being so…”

Hannah cast a knowing look over her shoulder. “Let me guess, she called you an uptight Brakebills bitch or something like that when you met her?” 

Julia’s jaw dropped, but she couldn’t help laughing. “Not quite that bad, but pretty close. Of course, she also tried to get my number by butting into a line and paying for my coffee.”

Hannah grinned, clearly delighted. “That’s my daughter, alright,” she said. “Did she tell you the story - well, no, she wouldn’t. So I met Harriet at a lesbian bar in the nineties. You know the kind of place I mean? They were full of hedges in those days. Anyway, she was with this woman I didn’t think was much of a hedge or a girlfriend, so I went over and said - “

They finished putting together two trays of cookies, brownies and tarts while Hannah regaled Julia with stories of her days as a queer witch from the wrong side of the tracks. When they were ready, Julia picked up one of the trays, but Hannah put a hand on her arm before she could step outside. “I meant what I said earlier,” she said. “You’re the first person Kady’s ever brought home, except for her partner from work. I just hope… be patient with her, alright? She can be hard to get close to, but she’s worth it.”

“She is,” Julia said. “And being here today has definitely filled in some missing pieces.”

Out on the back porch, Julia set her tray down with the others, then took a selection of desserts and went to find Kady. The other woman was sitting on the steps down by the lawn, talking to Harriet. Julia slowed down as she approached, not wanting to interrupt, and Harriet’s signing caught her eye. There had been a class at Brakebills on casting in ASL; it was an elective and Julia had never been able to fit it into her schedule, but Quentin and Gretchen had both taken it, and it hadn’t been difficult to pick up a little, watching them practice. Harriet was talking about the Library, and trust - Kady interrupted with an eyeroll and a flurry of sign at that, but the angle was wrong for Julia to understand her - and definitely the word _weapons_ , which made Kady go still. 

And then Harriet finger-spelled out a name that made Julia’s blood freeze and the brand on her palm ache.

“Julia!” 

Julia blinked, coming back to herself to find that Harriet had left and Kady was looking up at her, a welcoming expression on her face that turned to concern as Julia took too long to answer. “Jules?” She started to stand up. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m - I’m fine.” Julia shook off the mood and forced herself to smile. It probably wasn’t the same name. Almost definitely wasn’t. She hadn’t signed for years, she could even remember if the first two fingers crossed was an _r_ or a _p_ , and that _a_ might have been an _s_. “Just got lost in thought.” She hurried over to sit on the step beside Kady. “Here, I brought you dessert.”

“Ooh, treats. Thanks.” Julia fed Kady a piece of a chocolate chip cookie and Kady licked her finger as she took it. “Those are Harriet’s,” she said while Julia shivered in a whole different way. “Everything else on the table is my mother’s, since she’s turned into some kind of weird Food Channel hostess since they moved out here, but Harriet’s been making those cookies since I was a kid. She won’t tell me the secret ingredient, so I assume it’s magic.” Julia, thinking of Josh’s “secret ingredients,” resolved not to have any more cookies. Kady slipped an arm around her shoulders and Julia leaned into her. “Are you having fun?” 

“I am,” Julia said. “Your mom is really nice.”

“Is she?” Kady smiled wryly. “No, you’re right, she is. Our relationship is complicated but nice was never the problem.”

Julia guessed that it wasn’t her business to ask, and if there was anyone who was going to get a difficult relationship with a mother, it was her. “How about Harriet?” she asked instead. “You guys seem close. You were talking pretty intensely out here.”

“Well, Harriet doesn’t always approve of my line of work,” Kady said, though some shadow went through her eyes and was gone in seconds. “But we are close. She’s been around my whole life. When I was little and my mom was less… hmm, settled, you know, Harriet was the one reliable person. She was basically my second mom even before the two of them made it official.”

“That’s nice,” Julia said. “That you had her.” She leaned gainst Kady’s shoulder and looked out at the party. 

It was odd being at a magicians’ party where no one knew her, and she’d sensed a little distrust when she first walked in, but that had faded. Now all the hedges were out on the lawn, drinking and dancing to the music. Bender, the guy who’d sold Toby to Kady - and had cornered Julia in the dining room earlier to intensely question her about the dog’s wellbeing - was tossing a small ball of light back and forth with Silver and a very drunk woman named Melony, the little spell hovering between them. Further down the lawn, Richard had set out a thick spell book, and he and Harriet were engaged in an intense argument over one page of it. Hannah joined them, hugging Harriet from behind and resting her chin on her partner’s shoulder. 

A flash out of the corner of her eye made Julia jump, and she realized Melony had lost control of her spell and the little ball of light was now floating towards the porch. Kady raised a hand to catch it, but Julia got there first, casting and watching the ball hover just over her head for a moment before sending it spinning back to the game. The three players called out thanks, and Silver yelled, “You should join us, Julia, you’ve got better control than this one!” but Julia waved them off.

“Thanks for bringing me out here,” she said to Kady. “I’m having a really good time.”

“Not too much magic for you?”

“I might have overreacted just a little that night at the bar.” She settled her head on Kady’s shoulder. “But I mean, thank you for showing me your home and your family. I know they mean a lot to you.”

“Yeah,” Kady said softly. “They do.”

Julia tried to imagine having something like this, a whole community of magic. She had her friends, of course, and she wouldn’t have given them, or Brakebills, up for anything, but it had to be different being born into it. Growing up your whole life with magic as your world. She wondered how hard she would have fought to protect something like that, if it was hers.

_Maybe as much as you’d fight for a whole land that was yours, however briefly._

She took Kady’s hand. “Thank you for showing me this part of yourself.”

***

“I am never going to be hungry again,” Julia said as they stepped off the train. “I cannot believe your mother and Harriet cooked that much food in one day. I probably haven’t cooked that much in the last year.”

“You cook?” Kady asked.

Julia giggled. “No, that’s my point.” She glanced around the train station, then took Kady’s hand. “Come on, there’s a shortcut over here.”

Kady had learned over the last month that Julia knew the location of every secret portal in New York. She supposed that made sense, because of her field, but when she said so, Julia shook her head. “It’s my friend Eliot. When we were at Brakebills, he and Margo were always coming into the city for parties. There wasn’t a rule about leaving campus or anything, but you were supposed to be careful about using magic out in the real world because the school was afraid we’d screw it up, so they refused to tell us where the portals off campus were. So Eliot made friends with some of the older students and they taught him how to make his own portals, and then he decided he liked it. He made half the ones in New York, and knew the people who made the rest.” She did the tuts to reveal this one, an abandoned elevator shaft that opened onto an ally off a busy street. “He’s the one who really got me interested in portal making, and then I built my thesis off his,” she said as they stepped through. 

“I’ll have to meet these friends of yours someday,” Kady said, girlfriend talk, and then paused at the strange look on Julia’s face.

“They’d love you,” was all she said.

They stepped onto the street and Kady realized where they were. “Uh, Jules, this is my neighborhood, not yours.”

“Right.” Julia released her hand, but only to slip an arm around her waist and look up at her. “I thought we could go back to your place. Unless you wanted to go to mine instead?”

“Oh? No, mine’s fine.” She smiled, hoping it looked natural, and wound her own arm around Julia’s back. “Let’s go.”

Maybe she could just pretend to fall asleep on her own this time, she thought as they walked the two blocks to her building. Penny’s spell the other night had left her with a headache that rivaled any hangover she’d ever had.

Toby came running to meet them when Kady unlocked the door, and Kady went to get the dog’s leash while Julia fussed over her. “Make yourself at home,” she said, as she clipped the leash on. “I’m just going to take the little maniac out to pee.”

When she got back twenty minutes later, the lights were on in the kitchen, but Julia had dimmed them throughout the rest of the first floor. Kady set Toby free, then went into the kitchen to wash her hands. “Toby has a rivalry with the chihuahua down the hall,” she called in the direction of the living room. “I swear if that thing tries to attack her one more time I’m gonna curse that woman’s apartment.” She grabbed a couple bottles of water from the fridge and went out into the apartment. “I brought you a drink,” she said as she circled around the couch. The sight that waited for her made her pause.

Julia had restored the floating candles from the other night and lit them. Besides that, and the rest of the dim lighting in the apartment, there wasn’t anything overtly romantic about the scene, but it still made Kady’s breath catch. Julia was curled up in the corner of the enormous couch with her legs tucked up beneath her. She still wore the same sleeveless dress she’d had on earlier, but she’d taken her hair down and her shoes off, and the softer look of her in the darkness, comfortable but not totally relaxed in Kady’s space, made Kady’s heart beat faster. Julia’s eyes were clear and steady, purposeful, as she looked at Kady across the few feet between them. 

“Thanks,” she said, holding up a hand, and Kady took a moment to react. The water, right.

“Here you go,” she said, handing over the bottle, then sat down beside her and took a nervous sip from her own. _Get it together_ , she hissed at herself. _Nothing is going to happen tonight._

Julia unscrewed her cap and took a long sip, head tilted back, while Kady tried not to look at the column of her throat or the way her mouth moved, or how pretty her hair was falling like that - Julia set the bottle down and reached for her hand. “I meant it earlier,” she said, and Kady tried very hard to listen, but Julia was also running her thumb over the back of her hand in a very unfair way. “I”m really glad you took me to meet your family tonight. I feel like I know you a lot better. Or - that the things I already knew have a context now.”

“Well, next time it can be your turn.”

“Meeting my family wouldn’t be much fun for either of us. But I would like you to meet my friends someday. Even if - “ She trailed off, that same troubled look on her face, and Kady imagined the line ended with _even if I choose Penny_. Julia shook her head and visibly adjusted her mood to something lighter. “My friends will love you,” she said. “They already do, they just don’t know it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve changed since I met you.” Julia smiled. “Not just because of you, so don’t get a big ego about it, but you’re part of it. Stuff like that night on the Ferris Wheel, or going to that bar - I never would have done those things before.”

“Too low-brow?”

Julia slapped her leg lightly, then let her hand linger there. Kady wondered if that was revenge for the night at the diner. If so, Julia was diabolical; Kady felt like there was a bright line of fire running up her leg from where Julia was touching her. 

“Would you stop? I’m not a snob.” But she was laughing. “No, even when I was younger, I was always so focused, so intense. I needed other people to break me out of my own head. Even when I tried to have fun, I was a total Type A about it. I had spreadsheets for the parties I threw in college, and I once spent a whole week in the library at Brakebills doing research on a prank I wanted to pull on a friend.”

“That spell you cast on the Ferris Wheel was a pretty complex Energy Reversal,” Kady pointed out, trying to ignore the way Julia was now running her fingers around Kady’s knee, just brushing her inner thigh. “So…”

“So I haven’t changed as much as I think I have?” Julia leaned her head back on the coach, looking up at Kady. Her hand stilled, both a relief and a disappointment. “But I’ve had fun. I’ve relaxed and been happy, these last few weeks. And it’s been a really, really long time since I was happy.” Her smile faded into something smaller and quieter. “Thank you.” 

_It could almost be a goodbye speech_ , Kady thought. _Thank you for the good times, but I’ve made my choice and I’m moving on._ But even in her own head, she couldn’t convince herself that Julia was saying goodbye, not with the way the other woman was looking at her, soft and steady but unyielding, or the way she was still touching her, even if it no longer felt teasing, more like Julia was laying a claim. She was not going to let Kady walk away from this moment.

“I’ve had a good time too,” Kady said, reaching out to play with a strand of Julia’s hair but avoiding her eyes. 

It didn’t work. Julia shifted, turning sideways, and brought a hand up to cup Kady’s jaw, turning her head so Kady had no way to avoid looking at her without it being obvious. “I’ve never done things just because I want to,” Julia said. “There was always a reason, a plan, but - “ Her fingers trailed up Kady’s jawline. “Are you like that?” she asked. “Do you do things you want?”

“All the time,” Kady admitted, which got her a smile. 

“That’s good,” Julia said. She climbed up on her knees and leaned over, and Kady didn’t resist as the other woman kissed her, slow but not lazy this time, full of intent. She stretched up into Julia’s touch, sinking into the press of lips against hers and the feel of Julia’s fingers in her hair. When Julia pulled back, her eyes were dark and soft all at once, too much there. “Kady, I want to - “

“Can I tell you something?” Kady interrupted. “Something I’ve never told even my best friend? Not out loud anyway.”

“Sure.” Julia sat back a little, but not enough to put any real distance between them. She slid her hands down Kady’s arms to entwine their fingers. “You can tell me anything you want.”

_If only that were true._ But some truth would be okay. Kady focused on their hands to avoid looking at Julia’s perfect face. “I turned thirty last year,” she said. “And uh, the thing about that is, I never really expected to get that far. Not that I was ever trying not to, but, you know, hedge life is dangerous, and then the decisions I was making for a while there weren’t the best. I just figured something would go wrong eventually and that would be it. When I was younger, I didn’t care as much, but for years now I’ve had this mentality that I should just try to live as much as possible in the moment. That’s what this ridiculous apartment is about. If I want something, I buy it. If I want to go somewhere, I do. If I want to… be with someone…”

“You seduce them with candles and chocolate strawberries?”

Kady laughed. “That part was new. But the point is - “ She made herself look up, squeezing Julia’s hand, hoping she was conveying the truth here even if she was leaving the details out. “I was _so_ attracted to you when I met you that day at the coffee shop.” Julia grinned. “And I know I, uh, blackmailed you,” she winced, but couldn’t help smiling too, because Julia still was, “and I had reasons, I swear, but I also just… fuck. I wanted you Jules. And I go for what I want.” They were both laughing now, even though Kady’s eyes felt oddly wet. The laughter died in her throat as she added, “But I didn’t expect it to be like this. I didn’t expect to want things that are…” She trailed off, all amusement gone.

After a moment, she heard Julia shift, quiet now. “What do you want, Kady?” she asked.

“You, obviously.” Kady blinked a little too hard, trying to keep her smile real even though her voice was shaking.

“Okay.” Julia kissed her slowly. Kady closed her eyes as she kissed her back. “Then you have me,” Julia said against her lips.

They kissed for a long time, Julia coming closer until she could slide a leg around Kady’s waist, Kady’s hands holding her steady, stroking her sides and back, running up her thigh under her dress and making Julia gasp. She knew she shouldn’t let this go on, but that knowledge lived somewhere further back in her brain, separate from this moment. Maybe it could just be this all night, just the two of them on this couch, in the candlelit darkness, kissing forever, with the rest of the real world and its problems far away.

Eventually Julia pulled back. She was on her knees, now, straddling Kady’s waist, her face in shadow except for the dark gleam of her eyes. “You told me you never had anything serious before, with anyone,” she said.

It was like a splash of ice water in her face. Kady started to pull back. “Yeah, I’ve never been the type - “

“Not the type, or was it something else?” Julia grabbed her face, holding her still. “I’m not asking for anything here, Kady. That’s kind of the revelation I had today. I’ve been thinking of this whole thing as if there’s some template for what a relationship should look like and I need to figure out who fits into it, but that’s the thing. Maybe you don’t. Maybe we won’t work out in the long run. It doesn’t matter, because I realized that I care about you, and I want you. And even if the rest doesn’t work out, it’s worth it.” She pushed Kady’s hair back from her face, her touch gentle. “So don’t worry about me. You don’t need to make me promises, or explain anything. I have what I want. I just need to make sure that you do too. You deserve happiness, Kady. Whatever that means for you.”

“What if what I want isn’t possible?” Kady asked softly.

Julia laughed, a musical sound despite her low-pitched voice. She kissed her again. “Then we make it possible, Kady. We’re magicians, remember?”

Kady closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, then set her hands on Julia’s hips and pushed her gently to the side so she could stand up. She looked down at the other woman, at the beginning of disappointment on her face, and thought, _she belongs with Penny. She deserves Penny. Penny deserves her._

It wasn’t any less true than it had been all the other times she’d had the thought over the last month, and it didn’t hurt less, but tonight it hurt differently, in a way that reminded her of all the times she’d sat on that couch with Penny, close enough to kiss and both of them knowing it and setting it aside. 

_You deserve happiness, Kady._ Maybe not the way Julia meant, but maybe at least this much.

_Whatever that means for you._ She knew what it meant, suspected she had for a while now. And that wasn’t possible. But maybe she could make this much possible . Maybe she could have this, for a little while, and still have Penny and Julia together, have both of them happy, and that would be close enough.

She took Julia’s hand, and pulled her to her feet, ignoring the expression of surprise on her face as she kissed her. “You remember where the bedroom is, right?” she said, and led her towards the stairs.

***

Julia woke up with Kady’s arm wrapped possessively around her waist, Kady’s face pressed to her shoulder, Kady’s legs tangled with hers. She lay for a long moment, early sunlight spilling warm across her face because they’d forgotten to pull the curtains the night before, and breathed in the scent of Kady’s hair product and skin, the silky feel of her expensive sheets and ridiculous softness of her bed. Kady’s skin was hot against hers, everywhere they touched, reminding Julia of just how much they’d touched last night, of Kady’s fingers and lips on every part of her, of the way she’d felt and tasted beneath Julia’s own explorations. She let herself live in that moment while the sun rose, and when it was too bright to ignore, she carefully untangled herself and went into the bathroom.

When she returned, showered and dressed, zipping up the little bag of toiletries she’d optimistically packed the night before, Kady was just waking up. She stretched, eyes still closed, smiling when her arm fell on the spot where Julia had been lying. “Where are you going?” she asked, voice still heavy with sleep. “I could make you breakfast. I make really good pancakes.”

“I bet you do.” Julia sat down beside her, tucking her things away in her purse, then reached out to run her hand through Kady’s tangled hair. “Thank you for last night,” she said.

“You’re welcome.” Kady finally dragged her eyes open, looking surprised when she saw Julia dressed. “Are you in a rush?” she asked.

There was something different about Kady in the morning, or maybe just Kady _this_ morning, Julia thought. She’d seen her soft and sleepy that other night when she’d put her to bed, but even then, there had been that little edge to her that was always there, the sense that Kady carried an invisible shield with her at all times made up of attitude and snark and pride. But it was gone now; Kady’s whole expression was open and easy, her eyes bright despite the early hour, nothing cynical or defensive to be seen. 

Julia took her hand. “I have to go,” she said. On cue, her phone started buzzing. Margo had never learned to write out a whole message and then press send; her texts always came in little bursts of alerts, insistently demanding attention. “I’m meeting some friends for breakfast.”

“Next time, then.”

Julia leaned across the bed to kiss her goodbye, pulling back and resting her forehead against Kady’s for a minute before she made herself sit up. “I’ll call you.”

“‘Kay,” Kady said, already rolling over and going back to sleep.

_You took away her defenses,_ Julia thought as she paused to look back from the bedroom door. She’d meant everything she said the night before, she’d wanted what they’d had no matter what it meant, but she wasn’t sure she’d understood what it would mean for Kady.

By the time she made it to the Village and the Stonery, Margo and Quentin were seated at their favorite table with coffees and pastries. Josh waved from the counter, then grabbed a cup and plate and followed her as she joined her friends. 

“Eliot went into the office this morning to grade papers,” Q explained as she sat down beside him. “But he says whatever you decide, you should wait for his information.” He clearly wanted to ask what that meant, but Julia just nodded. Eliot’s information was nothing she wanted to think about right then.

“I can’t believe this is what we’ve come to.” Margo viciously ripped a piece off her pineapple scone with perfectly manicured nails. “Eliot’s working on a Saturday morning and Julia’s the one panicking over her relationships. The world’s gone insane.”

“Eliot hasn’t panicked over a relationship in seven years,” Quentin said, and Margo patted his hand.

“That’s how he wants it to look for you.”

Josh interrupted before Quentin could ask any more questions that weren’t going to be answered, setting Julia’s Americano-with-surprise-shot and a chocolate raspberry muffin in front of her. “Okay, Margo caught me up on the gossip,” he said. “I have five minutes. What’s the latest? What are we voting on?”

“Voting?” Julia looked from his expectant face to Margo and Quentin, who wore similar expressions. “We’re not voting on anything.”

“You called us here to deal with an emergency.”

“I called to have breakfast with my friends, Q.” None of them looked like they believed her and she sighed. “And okay, maybe also for advice. But this isn’t a democracy. You guys don’t get a vote on who I date.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” Margo said. “So what’s the issue?”

Julia sighed. “Okay. Last night… I slept with Kady.” They all stared at her blankly. “That’s it, that’s the issue.”

“That was the plan, wasn’t it?” Quentin said.

“Right.” Margo nodded. “So is Penny tonight, or are you giving yourself a break? I recommend a few days. You don’t want to it to all blur together, and your va - “

“ _Margo_. No. That’s not - it wasn’t about that.” Julia took a sip of her coffee. “I didn’t sleep with Kady as part of some plan, or as a test. I did it because I wanted to.” They still looked like they weren’t getting it. “I… think I’m in love with her. Maybe.”

“So she won?” Quentin smiled. “I wasn’t rooting for her, but if she makes you happy Julia, I’m glad.”

“Kady’s cool,” Josh said. “Even if she does work for the Library.” Someone yelled from the kitchen, and he groaned. “The new guy keeps mixing up the regular cinnamon and the specially modified one. I’ve got to go.” He patted Julia’s shoulder. “But I’m really happy for you Jules.”

“What is with her working for the Library?” Margo asked as he rushed off. “I thought she said she was a courier or something.”

“Yeah, I don’t even know how he knows about that.” She shook her head. “You guys are missing the point. Kady didn’t win.”

That got their attention. “The sex was bad?” Margo asked, and Quentin made a sympathetic face.

“Speaking from experience, that doesn’t necessarily mean anything the first time,” he said.

Julia pointed at Margo, “No, that isn’t what I’m saying,” she shifted to Quentin, “and wow, is that more than I needed to know.” She took a bite of her muffin. “The sex was wonderful. Kady is wonderful. But so is Penny.”

“So you’re still going to sleep with him? Honestly, Julia, I think we already had this conversation and you know I hate reruns.”

Julia ignored Margo. “I know I agreed that this was the way to go, and I thought it would be fine. I thought I could just sleep with both of them, and maybe that would clear things up, or at least it wouldn’t make them more complicated. But it wasn’t as casual with Kady as I was hoping. I thought I could make it a one night thing and now… now I don’t want to.”

Quentin nodded slowly. “So…?”

“But what if the same thing happens with Penny? What if I sleep with him too and then I don’t want to let him go either?”

Quentin and Margo exchanged a look. It was the one that Julia had seen many times between Q and Eliot, and even more between Eliot and Margo, but rarely from the third corner of their triangle. It was the expression of two people who knew each other well enough to communicate without words. 

“Julia,” Quentin said, and Julia got the impression he’d somehow been delegated to say what they were both thinking. “Do you want to let Penny go now?”

“Of course not.”

“And did you want to let Kady go before last night?”

She paused to really think about it. She felt she knew Kady better after the night they’d shared, but even so… “No.”

“So then, what’s the difference? Whether you sleep with him or not, you aren’t going to be happy if you lose him.”

“Right.” Julia closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead. “This is so complicated. And I want to remind you guys that it is completely your faults.”

“Oh, relax,” Margo said. “Be real with us. Even with all the angsting, aren’t you having more fun now than you’ve had in years?”

Julia shook her head, but she couldn’t help smiling. “I am.”

***

Marina wasn’t at her mirror station. Penny stuck his head in to take a quick look around, to make sure all the flashing images of people around the universe going about their lives hadn’t distracted him from one live woman actually standing in the room. His attention caught on the mirror, half-tucked behind the others, that monitored Julia’s apartment, and he paused to study it. There was nothing showing at that moment, but Marina had left a notebook beneath it where she jotted down anything suspicious. Penny scanned through the notes, but there was nothing for the last several days.

A flash of movement caught his eye, and he looked up at the mirror. Julia was just letting herself into her apartment, and Penny watched as she dropped her purse on the couch and moved around tidying things up, a little smile on her face. He realized he was smiling in return; it was nice to see Julia happy like this, even if he didn’t know the cause.

_It’s also creepy as hell to watch her in her home when there’s no need_ , he reminded himself, and left quickly.

Pete was coming up the stairs from the floor when Penny made his way down. “Hey man,” he said. “Have you seen Marina or Kady?”

The other Agent shook his head. “Marina was around earlier, but I don’t think Kady’s here. None of her stuff is at her desk.”

That was weird. Kady was always on time for work, even if she slept in and had to text him to pick her up while she was brushing her teeth. He pulled out his phone and checked it, but there were no messages.

“Maybe she’s out on a job,” Pete offered. “I heard her the other day asking Zelda if there were any smaller jobs she needed done. One person stuff. I guess you were busy or something?”

Penny gave the other man a suspicious look. Pete wasn’t the devious type - he was too lazy for that - but he wouldn’t put it past him to be fucking with Penny’s head on Marina’s behalf. But Pete just gave a little shrug and Penny dismissed the thought. 

There was nothing weird about Kady wanting to do extra jobs anyway, even if they’d worked together for seven years. Kady got restless; if Penny was bored after a month of desk duty, she was probably going insane.

“Thanks, man,” he said, waving absently as he jogged down the stairs and into the hall, winding his way towards the part of the building that held the offices of the Head Librarians. Maybe Kady was with Zelda now.

He heard two people talking in low tones as he turned a corner; he recognized the voices, but it was so strange to hear them together that he walked into their line of sight before catching himself. Marina was at the end of the hall; her back was to him, but there was no mistaking her wardrobe, or the strident tone of her voice even when she was whispering. Her companion was arguing back until she saw Penny coming and paused, making a short, aborted gesture of quiet towards Marina.

It was Alice.

She looked guilty at being caught in a secret conversation. Marina, of course, had no such problem. “Penny,” she said brightly, turning around. “I was just asking Alice if she’d seen you.”

“Uh-huh.” That was obviously a lie, by the way Alice dropped her eyes. “What for?”

“I have some updates on your case.” She turned her smile on Alice. “I’ll see you later, Quinn. Thanks for your help.” She looped an arm through Penny’s and began dragging him back the way he’d come. 

“I was looking for you too,” he said. “Have you seen Kady today? I haven’t been able to find her anywhere.”

“Oh, I think Kady will be in late,” Marina said. “She had a long, fun night for herself.”

“Marina, there is one thing Kady and I do not talk about, and that’s whatever goes on between you two. So, please - “

“Oh, not me.” Marina laughed, though there was a slight edge to it. “I haven’t seen Kady privately in weeks. No, I was talking about your girlfriend. Julia. They spent the night together.”

Penny didn’t stumble, because he was a goddamn professional, both as a secret agent and at dealing with Marina’s bullshit. “That wasn’t in your notes,” he said.

Marina waved a hand dismissively, though from the way her eyes hardened he’d guess he was going to pay for admitting to going through her case notes when she wasn’t there. “They stayed at Kady’s place.”

“And how do you know that?”

“Because I have a mirror spell in her bedroom. Private, not through the Library.” She rolled her eyes. “Oh, don’t give me that look, you all know I don’t do boundaries and morals. Don’t act like you’re surprised.”

He sighed. “Fine. Whatever. That’s Kady’s business.” He was going to tell her, though. “Anyway, it’s not the first time. Julia stayed over there last weekend too.”

“But this was a different situation. Like I said, the mirror is in the bedroom.” Marina leaned in with a sly smile. “You know, I was surprised, but pleased. Kady really likes Julia, even if she won’t admit it. She seems happy with her. And it’s weird, I never thought I’d see Kady pick someone who makes her happy. Well, you know that.” She disentangled herself from his arm and patted his shoulder. “Cheer up, it’s good news. I bet she picked up all kinds of things during the pillow-talk.”

Penny watched her run up the stairs to her station, vaguely aware that he ought to keep walking, go to his desk and figure out whatever paperwork he was supposed to be doing, or see if Kady really was with Zelda, or maybe text her or…

He hadn’t taken the competition seriously, and even when he’d realized that Kady was in deeper than he’d expected, that _Julia_ was, he’d thought… It had been fucking stupid, he realized, to somehow think that there was a solution here where he got to keep Julia, and keep Kady, and have them both be happy. 

“Penny.” Alice’s touch on his arm brought him back to himself. She frowned up at him. “Are you okay?”

“I… Yeah. I mean, I’m fine. It’s nothing.”

She nodded slowly. Penny watched her thinking, and then she said, “One of the perks of being a Librarian is I have a liquor cabinet. Do you want a drink?”

Penny laughed, a rough, strange sound. “That sounds fucking perfect.”


	17. Chapter 17

“I think I’m confused.” Alice picked up her expensive crystal glass and studied it with exaggerated care. “And I don’t think it’s the alcohol. Not just the alcohol.” She set the glass down on her desk. “Try me again.”

Penny slumped down further in her uncomfortable guest chair. It was typical of the Library to spend all their decorating funds on the liquor supplies and scrimp on the furniture. “It doesn’t matter,” he said. “You’re the last person who wants to hear about all this.” Probably the last person he wanted to tell, though he was having trouble remembering that.

“I do, though.” Alice sat up straighter. “Start from the beginning. You’re seeing someone.”

“Yes.”

“But she’s in love with someone else? How do you know?”

He shrugged. “I found out. It doesn’t matter.” He frowned. “And I didn’t say in love.” Though it would be better if Julia was in love with Kady. Kady acted like she had no emotions, but Penny knew her better than anyone, and he hadn’t seen her happy like she was with Julia since… ever, he decided. No one he’d ever met made Kady happy the way Julia did.

The thought was depressing. He reached for the bottle of scotch and refilled his glass.

Alice squinted at him. “You’re having a lot,” she said. 

“Yeah, so? Did you want more?” He eyed her, a little amused. Alice had never handled liquor well.

Though he was the one sitting here spilling out his feelings to his ex, so maybe he wasn’t as sober as he thought.

She shrugged. “Sure. I might as well practice, since apparently it goes with the job.” She pushed her glass over and he obediently refilled it, then sank back in his chair again.

“So your… girlfriend? She’s cheating on you - “

“No,” he said. “No, nothing like that. Ju - _she_ didn’t do anything wrong. She just chose someone else.” And the stupid part was, he couldn’t blame her. If there was anyone on the planet - on any planet - who would understand Julia’s choice, it was Penny. He didn’t even know why he was surprised. 

Alice seemed to be watching him very closely for someone who was well on her way to being drunk. Maybe she was having trouble focusing on his face. “How does Kady come in?” she asked. “That was the part that confused me.”

Well, sure, because that was the part that he hadn’t been able to explain without giving away too much. “She’s seeing someone too. But that’s fine. They’re happy so that part… it’s good.”

“Except that you’re jealous.” Penny gave her an incredulous look and she sighed. “Come on, Penny, I’m not stupid. We’re talking about Julia Wicker, right? You’re both dating her?”

“I… How did you know that?” He’d always known Alice was smart, but it didn’t seem fair that she could be drunk and smart at the same time.

“I know Kady has been seeing Julia for weeks,” she said. “She did ask me about her book that time. You I was less sure of, until you appeared in the middle of her apartment while I was monitoring Sheila’s station for her the other day. You were both sweating, like you’d come in from someplace really hot? You handed her something?”

The day after he’d taken Julia to the crystal cave and given her that stone. He’d remembered to worry about Marina’s mirror spell that day, but he’d totally forgotten about the official Library one. _Shit_. He closed his eyes, letting his head fall back. “I’ve fucked up this entire thing.”

“No, you haven’t. I didn’t put it in my report.” He looked up, surprised, and Alice gave a little shrug. “I don’t know what ‘this whole thing’ even is, but if you’ve been trying to look into Julia, or protect her, you haven’t messed up. Julia’s just someone we’re watching, she’s not a criminal. And I assume you aren’t with her because you’re conspiring with Reynard?”

He snorted. “No.”

“Well, then, I’m glad my instincts were correct. How did you meet her?”

“Dating app.”

Her eyes widened. “I wasn’t expecting that. It’s not your style.”

He shrugged. “It was time to move on, right? From the Library,” he added, when she looked uncomfortable. “I figured, if I’m going to live like a regular person, I should do what everyone else does. Meet someone, make a life.” He took another drink. ”Be happy.”

“And what about Kady?”

“She really did meet Julia for a case.”

Alice looked frustrated, but she nodded. “The Reynard case?”

“Yeah.” He studied her, wondering if he could trust her. He thought the answer was yes, but he was willing to admit that Kady was right about one thing. Penny had never been good at mistrusting people he cared about, even if he should. “Julia really isn’t working with him?”

“Not that we’ve been able to prove,” she said. “She had a connection to him once, and we had to monitor her because he might try to get in touch, but as far as I know Julia hasn’t seen Reynard in years.”

“Good. That’s good.” It was like he’d thought from the beginning, then. Julia was innocent, and once this whole mess was cleared up and they’d told her the truth… Well, he hadn’t expected it would be Kady getting the happy ending. But he couldn’t hate that, even if his own coming freedom didn’t feel quite as bright any more.

He drained his glass and set it down. Alice was playing with hers, looking like she wanted to say something. “Penny,” she said after a minute. “That day you were in Julia’s apartment… I obviously don’t know Julia, but I’ve been watching her for a few weeks now and she seemed happy with you. Really happy.”

“I thought so.” He barely had to think about it to remember Julia throwing herself into his arms, her body against his, her eyes bright. He had dozens of memories like that over the last weeks; he would have sworn that he was giving her everything she wanted. 

Maybe, he thought, with a glance at Alice, he was just really bad at telling when other people were happy.

“And Kady?” she asked again.

“Kady’s happy.” 

“And so that’s it? You’re just going to walk away from a chance to be happy too?”

“Alice.” He closed his eyes. He wanted another drink, and that was probably a bad idea. For one thing, it was barely noon and he was at work. “I can’t fight with _Kady_ over someone we - over someone she cares about. Maybe you don’t know me as well as I thought you did, but you have to know that much.”

When he opened his eyes, thinking that he should probably apologize for that, she was looking at him with a deeply irritated expression. “Penny,” she said. “You were the first friend I ever had, and you’re Charlie’s father, and I will always care about you. But sometimes you frustrate me so much.” She stood up, wobbling slightly. “Come on, you’re buying me lunch.”

***

Kady opened her door with a sigh. “Marina,” she said. “Isn’t it early for this kind of visit?”

“Oh, I’m not here for that.” Marina’s eyes trailed slowly down the length of Kady’s body. “Though you’re making the offer tempting.” Kady refused to tug on the edge of her tank top to make it stretch further over her hips. She really needed to start wearing pants around the apartment. “But I’m here because I was concerned,” Marina went on, putting on something that almost resembled a worried expression. “Since when do you call in sick?”

“People get sick, Marina.” Kady glanced down the hallway, noticing that her neighbor with the chihuahua was peering at them, and opened the door further. “And it wasn’t an offer, but you can come in anyway.”

Marina stepped through the door, looking around the apartment with a curious expression as Kady locked it behind her. 

“Something wrong?” Kady said. “It’s not like you’ve never been here before.”

Marina started to speak, but at that moment Toby came barreling around the corner with a flurry of high-pitched yips. Marina gasped and took a step back as the puppy planted herself at her feet, legs splayed, and attempted a growl. It came out more like a purr and it didn’t last long before Toby got distracted by Marina’s sharp-toed leather boots and began sniffing them. 

Marina stared at the puppy. “Did you get a guard dog… or a rat?” she asked.

“Don’t be rude.” Toby took a bite at Marina’s shoes and Kady quickly swooped in and picked her up. “I’m sorry, baby, I know you just want to be petted, but Marina’s mean,” she cooed, carrying the puppy over to the couch and settling down with her in her lap. Toby turned her attention to nibbling Kady’s fingers. Kady glanced up and saw Marina staring at her, bewildered. “What?”

“You got a dog.” 

“So?” 

“I didn’t think you were the nurturing type.”

It was stupid to let Marina mess with her, she’d known that for half her life at this point, but her comment was a little too close to Julia claiming Kady didn’t know how to commit to anyone. _Well, and didn’t you prove her right,_ she thought _, planning to give her one night and then send her off to Penny?_ “I just felt like getting a pet,” she said defensively. “This place is huge, and I’m always here by myself. I like the company.”

Marina wandered further through the apartment, peeking around the corner into the dining room and even examining the contents of the trash in the kitchen while Kady watched her, bemused. Finally, the other woman returned to the couch and took a seat, crossing her legs. “No mess, no piles of dishes, no half-eaten greasy take out.” She paused. “No bottles or needles either.”

“Seriously?” Now Kady was offended. “That’s what you thought was happening here?”

“And you don’t look sick,” Marina added pointedly. “But the apartment also seems empty. Your guest is gone. So what’s the deal, Kady?”

“I just took - wait, my guest?”

“I know you spent the night with Julia. Yes, I was spying on you. Don’t get excited.”

“Jesus, Marina, you can’t just - did you tell Penny?”

Marina shrugged. “Any reason I shouldn’t have? You did say I could make my reports to him.”

_Shit_. Kady’s confidence that Penny would understand why she needed that one night with Julia, that she wouldn’t be messing things up for him, faltered. Of course, Marina would have put it in the worst possible light. On her lap, Toby gave a little whimper and Kady realized she was gripping the dog too tightly. “What exactly did you say?”

“That you and Julia had a really great time last night. And that I thought you’d be in late. But I meant that you’d be having a great morning to match it, and instead here you are lying around in your pajamas, cuddling a dog instead of a cute nerd. What’s up with that?”

“I took a mental health day.” Kady slouched down, kicking her feet up onto the coffee table and letting Toby roam across her chest. She’d been holding on to what was left of her good mood all morning, but now it was fading. Penny wasn’t going to understand, no matter how much sense it all made in Kady’s head. She’d fucked this up. Inevitable, really. “I just needed a break.”

“From all the ‘work,’ you’ve been doing, dating Julia?” Marina’s eyes narrowed. “Or from Penny?”

“Maybe from you,” Kady grumbled, which just made the other woman laugh. “Things are complicated right now, okay? I wanted a little space.”

“Sure.” Kady waited, knowing Marina, but to her surprise the other woman didn’t have a sarcastic follow-up. “I’m going to make coffee,” she said finally. “And then we’ll do… whatever it is people do on mental health days. I mean, if it was mine, it would be cocaine, but I guess that’s not your thing any more. But we can… paint our nails? Watch movies? You decide.” She got up from the couch.

“Wait, no - Marina!” Kady grabbed her arm as she started walking towards the kitchen. “What are you talking about? You aren’t staying.”

“Of course I am. You spent all of last night banging the woman you’ve been obsessing over for weeks, and instead of celebrating you’re moping. I’m a concerned friend.” Kady almost laughed at the way Marina’s mouth twisted on the words. “Why wouldn’t I stay?”

“Because we aren’t friends. I’m trying to relax. You won’t help with that.”

“Well, I could.” Like a switch had been flipped, Marina’s whole body language changed. She turned her hand so she could run her fingers up Kady’s arm, light suggestive little touches. “But you have to ask nicely.”

Kady closed her eyes, shivering under the familiar touch. How many times had she done this, let Marina wipe the world away for a few hours, let herself get lost in the other woman and pretend none of it mattered for a little while? It was practically instinct at this point, to just let Marina kiss her, push her down on the couch, and forget. Except… She’d kissed Julia on that same couch, last night. She’d had Julia on top of her, Julia’s fingers in her hair and her mouth on Kady’s skin. She opened her eyes and pulled her hand away.

“No,” she said. “Not this time.”

For a moment, she thought Marina looked disappointed, and it startled her; in all their years of on-and-off fucking, Marina had never acted like she had any feelings at all for Kady. The expression was hidden fast. “That’s what I thought. So we’ll do it your way.” Her heels clicked as she made her way into the kitchen, grumbling under her breath, “I swear if anyone from the old coven ever heard about this…”

Kady reached for the remote and flipped the TV on, unable to stop herself from laughing.

***

“When did you know we weren’t going to work out?”

Penny was… drunk, okay, but he was still pretty sure Alice was drunker. He’d Traveled them back to a random neighborhood in Chicago where she swore they made the best martinis, and they were now the only ones in a dark, wood-paneled bar, sitting hunched over their glasses and plates of half-finished sandwiches. Alice was leaning with her elbows on the raised table, her half-empty glass dangling dangerously from her fingers. Her hair was messed up from running her fingers through it and her glasses were slipping down her nose. It was more disheveled than he’d seen her in a while, at least not since he’d stopped being the one to mess her up, and it made her look more like the Alice who’d been his friend and girlfriend and less like the Librarian. 

“What do you mean?” he asked, stalling.

She shrugged. “What was the sign for you? That we were doomed.” She dragged the word out, giggling.

“Okay, you’re cut off.” He pulled the glass out of her hand before she dropped it. “And to answer your question… the night you told me you were going to be a Librarian. That’s when I knew.”

“Oh, yeah, you were mad that night.” She sat up, startled. “But that was the night you left.”

“Obviously.”

She frowned, familiar little lines between her eyebrows. “You really had no idea before then?”

“None.” It wasn’t totally true, the uncertainty had been there for months, longer, but he didn’t feel like dredging that all up now. One loss seemed enough for today. “When did you know?” He smiled, unamused. “Was it when your mother told you that she understood the sex appeal but if you wanted someone who was going to stick around she could find you something better?”

Alice shuddered. “God, no. I’m pretty sure she was talking about one of their castoffs. And she only hated you because you didn’t put up with the way she talked to me. Honestly, it was a relief. The last thing I ever wanted was to do something she’d approve of.” She looked thoughtful. “It was actually the same for me. The night I agreed to sign a new contract, and then came home and told you. You were furious that I hadn’t talked it over with you first. I didn’t mean to hurt you, I just didn’t think about it. And that’s when I realized that whenever I had to make a decision or a plan for the future that wasn’t about Charlie, I didn’t think of us doing it together.”

“Why did you do it?” he asked. The resentment had faded over the last few months, but it still hurt when he thought about how completely she’d been able to cut him out of her life, apparently without even trying. 

“Why did I choose to stay, you mean?” She shrugged. “I don’t agree with everything the Library does. The way they trapped you in your contract, and Kady and the others, and the way they’re so detached from the world, it isn’t right. I want to help change it from within. But that doesn’t mean everything about the Library is wrong. I was going down a pretty dark path when they caught me, I was going to get myself or someone else killed, and at the time I didn’t care. But now, I look at my life, at Charlie, and I’m glad they stopped me. It makes it pretty hard to hate them.”

He nodded slowly. “I don’t know that I would have understood, Alice, but I would have listened.”

“I know that.” She smiled tightly. “But that’s it, Penny. You always wanted to make things better for me, and I loved you for it, but I think the reason I didn’t tell you about the Library was that I needed to make that decision for myself. As difficult as it was going to be, I didn’t want your help or you trying to make it easier.”

That part still hurt. “I guess not.”

There was a long moment of quiet between them. “Do you remember when we first met?” Alice asked finally. “I was so used to being alone, it weirded me out when you would talk to me like I was a friend.”

He remembered all the times he’d deliberately put that confused look on her face. “I was just glad to have someone,” he said. “The only other person who would talk to me was Gavin, who was trying to get me killed with his training.”

She nodded. “I know, but the thing is, back then, it never occurred to me that you were lonely too.” She looked embarrassed. “It sounds stupid, but you were always so confident. I thought you talked to me because you felt bad for me. Weirdo loner Alice.”

“Never.” It sounded ridiculous to him. 

“You never acted uncomfortable around people, and maybe you didn’t like a lot of them, but when you did they always responded. It was hard for me not to feel like your charity case. And then we started sleeping together, and we had Charlie. And you were so perfect, Penny. You just kept trying to give me everything, and I never knew what you needed back. Or how to give it. So I just…” She shrugged. “I stopped trying. I pulled back into myself.”

“I didn’t need anything that complicated,” he said. “I just wanted a partner.”

“But I wasn’t the person who could be that.” She didn’t look sad about it, more determined to make him understand. It occurred to Penny that this was the most Alice had ever explained herself to him, and that for all his complaints that she’d hidden herself away, he’d never tried to find this part of her either. “This woman I’m seeing,” she said. “She pushes me when I need it, she doesn’t take my shit, as she would say. But she also knows when to back off. She isn’t trying to be everything to me. We have our own lives, and they’re very separate. Maybe that will change in the future, but for now I need things to be slow like that. I need that space to just be me, and to figure out if she fits alongside me.”

“We never really got that chance,” he admitted. “We just - “

“Had a baby and skipped over it all?” She laughed roughly. “I guess so.”

“Worth it, though,” he said. “Charlie, I mean.”

“Of course.” Now her smile looked genuine. “And we still have each other, right? Just in a different way.” She took off her glasses and subtly wiped her eyes, then slipped them back on. Her expression was thoughtful. “Penny, what do you want? Really?”

With all she’d just said, it should have been awkward to discuss this, but it wasn’t. Maybe it was just that the answer hadn’t changed in seven years; it was just that now he could say it out loud and not feel like it was asking too much of the universe. “Same as I always did,” he said. “Someone to build a life with. Someone who gets me and - ” he smiled ruefully, “lets me understand them. And someone who will want to stick around.”

She nodded. “But don’t you already have someone like that?”

He frowned, confused. “You mean Kady?” She nodded. “Well, yeah, but I also want sex, Alice.”

“And what’s the problem there?” She rolled her eyes when he stared at her, open-mouthed. “How I can I have the reputation I do, and yet I still have to keep reminding you that I’m not stupid? I know you’re attracted to her, Penny. Everyone at the Library knows that.”

He shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah, well, that opportunity passed a long time ago.”

“Did it?” Alice shrugged. “I’m not an expert, and Kady and I aren’t as close as we used to be, but I always thought she cared about you as more than a partner and something different from a friend. I used to be a little jealous of how close you were.”

“Alice.” He shook his head. “We aren’t like that. Kady and I - she’s the most important person in my life, besides Charlie. She’s my family.”

“I know,” Alice said. “So doesn’t that make her kind of perfect for you?”

“It’s not like I’ve never thought about it. But Kady isn’t interested in more. I know what you’re saying,” he added, cutting off her response, “and yeah, we’re attracted to each other, we both know that. If I thought I wouldn’t be driving her away… maybe. But I’m not going to mess up what we have to push something on her that she doesn’t want.”

“And you’re sure she doesn’t want it? Your contracts are coming up and your lives are going to change. Maybe your relationship could too.” Alice picked up her glass and drained it. “Or maybe you’re doing the same thing you always do.” She smiled a little sadly. “You try to make things better for everyone else, but Penny, at some point you need to ask if you’re just letting happiness get away.”

***

“So is the problem Julia or Penny?”

Kady pushed the carton of mango sherbet across the couch. Marina made a face, but took it and scooped out a bite. She had tried to argue for chocolate, but Kady refused with Toby playing on the couch between them. 

“I’m not talking about this with you,” Kady. “Shut up and watch the movie.”

“But I don’t get it. Why are these people always bursting into song? It’s like they’re under that stupid karaoke spell.”

“Nobody said you had to stay. You know where the door is.”

“Not happening.” Marina set the ice cream down on the coffee table, just out of reach of the disappointed puppy, and put her feet up. “Not until you explain yourself.” She ticked off the points on her fingers. “I think Julia’s perfect for you. She’s smart, she’s a powerful magician, she’s got that classical polish to set off your hedgewitch charm. Your mother likes her, not that we should be taking Hannah’s questionable judgement into account - “

“Hey.” Kady gave her a dirty look and Marina rolled her eyes.

“Fine. My point is, Julia is exactly what you need in your life and you got her, so I don’t understand why you’re so upset.”

“I’m not _upset_.” Except for about Penny hating her, but that was inevitable anyway. Marina had just moved the deadline on their friendship up a few months. “And I don’t _have_ Julia,” she added reluctantly.

“Are you kidding me?” Marina, off all things, looked angry. “You had her melting into a puddle last night on your ridiculous bed. Did you screw that up after I turned the mirror spell off?”

Kady shuddered. “That feels like more of a violation every time you mention it.”

Marina rolled her eyes. “I stopped watching once you two started taking your clothes off,” she said. “I prefer my porn anonymous.”

“Classy.’

“So what did you do to mess it up?”

“Nothing.” Kady reached out to stop Toby from flinging herself off the couch after the ice cream, cradling the dog in her arm. “It was just a one-night thing, that’s all. You know I’m only with her for the job.”

“That’s the biggest crock of shit I’ve ever heard.”

“And you’re such an expert.”

“On you? Yes.” Kady glared at her, but Marina had gone back to thoughtfully staring at the TV. “It’s Penny,” she said finally. “You’re in love with him.”

“God, _Marina_.” Marina tilted her head back against the side of the couch, and Kady found herself under the scrutiny of her sharp gaze. Maybe it was a spell, she thought, the way Marina looked at her like that and she didn’t know how to lie. Kady closed her eyes and sighed. “It’s that obvious, huh?”

When she opened her eyes again, Marina was staring at her in surprise. “Extremely obvious,” she said. “To everyone else. But I didn’t think you knew.”

“Of course I know.” Kady let her eyes fall to Toby, so she wouldn’t have to look at the other woman as she admitted, “I’ve been in love with him for years.”

“Wow,” Marina said after a long pause. “I rarely say this, but that was unexpected.”

“I think I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

Marina turned sideways on the couch, all her attention on Kady. “But then what is your fucking problem? If you want Penny, all you have to do is crook your finger and he’ll come running. That boy has been yours since the day you banged him on a fountain when we were recruits.”

“Do I want to know why you know about that?”

“Because I told him to leave you alone.” Kady’s eyes shot open and she stared at Marina, horrified. The other woman rolled her eyes. “It would have been a disaster back then. Let’s face it, Kady, you were a mess, and you screwed Penny for the same reasons you drank and used. I should recognize the pattern, since I’m the most frequent beneficiary of it.” Kady winced. “Oh, stop. I’m not looking for hearts and flowers like you and Penny. He was a decent guy under that angry surface and you needed someone who knew how to do friendship, so I told him that, and look what happened.” She shook her head. “But I didn’t expect you two to take all these years to get back on track. When you never got together, I just assumed you weren’t interested, and Julia turning up seemed to confirm it.”

“I’m not.” Kady shook her head when Marina started to protest. “I love Penny, but we would be a disaster together. You were right about that much.”

“And Julia?”

“The same.”

There was a long pause, and then Kady yelled as Marina took her arm in a bruising grip. She looked up to find the other woman glaring at her, true anger on her face, not the mask Marina wore to make people fear her. “Listen to me,” Marina said. “Do you want to know why I take such an interest in your pathetic love life? Because you’re one of my hedges. I don’t care if we haven’t had a coven in years, that’s how it works. Why do you think I’ve promoted you to the Librarians all this time, whenever they needed a couple Agents for a case? Why do you think I promote _Pete_ , when he never does any fucking work?” She tugged on Kady’s arm, stretching it out so the tattoos were displayed. “I put these stars on you, and until I burn them off, that makes you my hedge. And I take care of my people. Didn’t I tell you that years ago?”

“Yeah, right before you fucked up my entire life - “

“To help you save your mother. I never promised to coddle you, Kady.” Marina sat back, looking disgusted. “You are a powerful magician, and you’re a strong person. That’s a much more rare combination than you think. It’s why I took you on in the first place. I thought maybe you could be a Head Bitch some day, but you insisted on caring about bullshit like justice and protecting people, and where did that land us all? So, fine. You wanted something different.” She glared at Kady. “And now you’re going to sit here and whine to me about how Penny and Julia deserve so much better than you? Fuck that. Those two do-gooders should kneel down and be grateful they got you.”

Kady blinked slowly. “I… thank you?”

“Thank me by putting on some clothes and tracking down whichever one of them it is who gets you all hot and bothered. Or both, if that’s what you want.” 

That was way too close to some of the fantasies Kady had dreamt her way through last night. She shook her head. “I can’t.”

“Kady - “

“Penny’s leaving the Library in a few months,” Kady barreled on. “And Julia, she’s already got a whole life, especially if we can get her free of this Reynard mess. They’ll be happy together. And I won’t fit.” She gave Marina a pointed look.

Realization dawned slowly across Marina’s face. “Well, shit,” she said finally. “You’re going to - “

Kady nodded. “You said it, Marina. We’re hedges. And that means we protect our own.”

“Fucking self-sacrificing bullshit.” Marina shook her head. “And I can’t even be mad about it.” 

They turned back to the TV, though Kady was no longer paying attention to the musical playing out there. Toby whined her way over to the edge of the couch and this time it was Marina who scooped her up, petting her aggressively, like the dog was the source of her frustration. After a moment, Kady said, “I’m going to regret this, but - did you really think Penny and I would work out? Or me and Julia?” She glanced down the length of the couch. “You must know I’m shit at feelings.”

“You are,” Marina said. “But I’ve ever known you to fail at anything you actually wanted.”

***

The problem with getting drunk before noon, Penny decided, was that you got to be sober again before the day was even over. 

He’d dropped Alice off in Modesto, tucking her in and promising he’d tell Zelda she was sick, so once he got back to the Neitherlands he went up to the Head Librarian’s office. Zelda was at her desk, staring at a stack of reports with a perplexed expression. “Oh, Penny,” she said when he knocked on her open door. “Come in. Have a cookie.” 

“Thanks.” Penny took a chocolate chip cookie from the plate on her desk and bit into it, thinking like he always did that the cookies the Head Librarian’s daughter sent her tasted familiar. “Alice asked me to tell you that she went home early. She wasn’t feeling well.”

He expected at least a little response to that - Zelda was never anything but professional in front of the Agents, but rumor was she was a terrible gossip with the other Librarians, and he knew there had been whispers about him and Alice - but she just nodded absently. “There must be something going around,” she said. “First Kady, and now Alice. I hope you won’t be next.” She glanced up at him. “You don’t look well.”

“Just tired,” he said. _I’m hungover at work_ would probably have gotten another six months added to his contract. “Is Kady okay?”

Now Zelda did look surprised. “She’s fine,” she said. “She turned up after all a few hours late. Said it was just a little food poisoning.” She tilted her head, smiling faintly. “I believe she was down at her desk if you want to check in.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that.” 

_Everyone knows you’re attracted to her,_ Alice had said. Maybe the Librarians gossiped about him and Kady too.

It wasn’t a great thought to have in his head as he jogged down the stairs, his head throbbing in time with each step. He’d been trying to shut out Alice’s suggestions, but he kept looping back around to them. It was stupid. Kady was going to be with Julia, assuming Julia didn’t hate them both by the time they told her the truth, and even if she wasn’t… He’d never tried to pretend he wasn’t in love with her. He thought it was obvious. They never went more than a few weeks without him slipping somehow - a look, a touch, a joke that really wasn’t one - but Kady didn’t respond to any of it. And Penny wasn’t one to hold back on his feelings, but he’d been with her once and she knew that door was still open, so if she didn’t try to step through, that was on her. So where did that leave them? As partners. As friends, no matter what bullshit she spewed about them drifting apart once the Library wasn’t holding them together. That was enough.

But if Kady wanted Julia…

It was ridiculous, how much worse it was when she wasn’t rejecting a relationship, she was just rejecting him.

And it made him angry enough that, without thinking about what he was doing, he marched over to her desk and said, “Kady, we need to talk.”

She looked up, guilt flickering across her face. Penny could guess what that was about, though he didn’t care. “Penny, hey. Uh… yeah. You’re right.” She stood up, fussing with a few things on her desk before nodding. “Coffee?”

Maybe that would at least help with his headache. “Sure.”

They went into the kitchen, closing the door behind them, and Penny made them each a cup of coffee. When they were sitting across from each other at one of the folding tables, Kady took a deep breath. “There’s something I have to tell you,” she said. “Last night, Julia and I - “

“You slept with her.” Penny took a sip of his coffee. “I know. I don’t care. You don’t have to tell me anything.”

“Yes, I do. I know Marina already told you, but I need to explain.” She stared down into her mug. Penny could count on one hand the number of times Kady hadn’t been bold enough to stare a problem straight in the face. “I did sleep with her, and I know I broke our deal. I’m sorry. But I don’t regret it.” Now she looked up, and her face was composed. She sounded like she was reciting a rehearsed speech. “I care about Julia. And last night, I couldn’t say no. But it doesn’t have to mean anything for the two of you,” he snorted, “no, it doesn’t, Penny.” A little fire crept into her voice. “Julia made it pretty clear that she didn’t expect anything more than just that night from me. I think she has feelings for you, and you should act on them. I’ll back off, and as soon as this case is over you can tell her the truth - “

“The case is over,” he interrupted. “Alice told me. Julia’s not Reynard’s ally. They’re worried he’s going to try to get in touch with her because they knew each other in the past, but that’s all.”

“Oh.” A mix of relief and regret went over her face, and then she squared her shoulders. “Well, then, there you go. You should tell her tonight. Make sure she knows this isn’t your fault, and I’m sure she’ll forgive you.”

“And you?”

She shrugged, a pathetic attempt to look casual. “I’m your friend. Both of you.”

“That’s it?”

“We both said it back when we started this whole arrangement. She can’t be our shared girlfriend forever.”

_I’m not talking about her._ But Kady was; it was all over her face. No matter what she was pretending, she hated the thought of giving up Julia. Penny had known that for a while. It had just been easier to think that Kady’s feelings for Julia were less than his, just like it was easier to pretend his own feelings for her were different than what had grown between him and Julia.

“This is a fucking mess,” he said. “Look, if you and Julia - “

“We don’t.” Kady gave a strained smile. “It wasn’t about her choosing me, Penny. If it was, she would have cancelled her date tonight with you. And she hasn’t, has she?”

“No,” he admitted. “She texted me earlier. I’m supposed to pick her up early from work.”

Kady’s smile faltered, and Penny felt his heart twist. “Have fun.” She stood up and dumped out the rest of her coffee, then turned back to him. “And I really do think you should tell her the truth. If the case is over… this is the way it should end.”

She left the room before he could say anything more.


	18. Chapter 18

To a casual observer, Central Park appeared no different than on any summer night, but Julia knew what to look for. As soon as Penny landed them near the duck pond and the disorientation of Traveling wore off, she pointed across the park. “See that place where your vision goes a little blurry? That’s a disorientation spell. It’s not turning anything invisible, but it makes your brain want to ignore what your eyes are seeing.”

Charlie Adiyodi looked a lot like her father, but where he veered between laid-back charm and goofy sweetness, she was all intense curiosity, all the time. She squinted across the park, then tugged on her father and Julia by the hands. “Over there, Daddy,” she said in an authoritative tone, like Penny hadn’t heard Julia. “That’s where we can see the talking animals.” She glanced up at Julia “Right?”

Julia smiled down at her. “Lead the way,” she said, and Charlie pulled them towards the spelled area.

Only a few feet away, the spell began to break down. Once you knew what you were looking for, it wasn’t very effective, and Penny and Charlie only took a few seconds longer than Julia, who’d designed it, to see through its effects. Once they did, it was clear that what looked from outside like a regular mix of tourists and locals enjoying an evening in the park was really a crowd made up of equal parts human and animal Fillorians, all of them dressed in bright colors and bizarre headgear, milling around talking to each other. Charlie came to a dead halt, eyes huge, as a passing horse tipped his head at her politely. 

“Whoa,” she whispered, and just when Julia thought she might have stunned the girl into silence, she exploded with questions. “Is that a talking horse? Will he talk to me? What about that dog? Are there dogs that don’t talk in Fillory, or do people have no pets? Because you can’t put a dog on a leash if it’s a talking dog, that wouldn’t be nice - do they have different pets? Can I see one?” She paused for a breath, blinking at Julia expectantly.

Julia had never spent much time around children, and she had to struggle to remember all the questions. “Yes that is a talking horse, yes he will speak, yes that dog over there also talks. There are no pet dogs in Fillory, but there are some pet cats. They can talk, but they don’t, at least not to humans. They just like being waited on and pampered. Honestly, all the Fillorian cats I ever met were kind of ass - um, they were mean.”

Luckily Charlie didn’t want to pursue that part right away. “Can I go talk to the animals, Daddy?” she asked.

“You can go look at the animals,” Penny said. “No talking to anyone unless Julia or I are with you. They’re still strangers.” 

“Thanks!” Charlie ran off without waiting for more rules, following in the wake of the horse.

Left behind, Julia gave Penny a rueful look. “I’m exhausted already and we just got here.”

Penny wasn’t insulted; if anything, he looked thrilled. Julia had thought something was wrong with him when he showed up at her office to take her to Modesto, but being with his daughter had driven away whatever shadow she’d seen. “Charlie loves you,” he said, taking her hand. “I knew she would.”

“She’s a great kid.” Charlie hadn’t shown any hint of shyness. She’d asked Julia a million questions about the trip they were taking to New York to see the official signing of the contract between the McAllister Corporation and High King Abigail of Fillory before they’d even left Modesto. “I would say I didn’t realize kids could be so talkative, but I have too many childhood memories of being told I was a lot to handle.”

Penny laughed. “She can be that too,” he admitted. He pulled a little on her hand. “So are you going to introduce me to some of these talking animals?”

They collected Charlie again, and made their way through the crowd while Julia searched for familiar faces. Margo was around somewhere, browbeating Edwin McAllister through the formal parts of the event, but Julia didn’t want to run into anyone from work. She’d been part of Margo’s project team for two months, but even though magic flowed from her more and more easily these days, she still hadn’t done any casting related to the portal and she didn’t want to steal any of her friend’s thunder today. Instead, she scanned the faces of the Fillorians, both the locals and the members of the High King’s delegation, and saw several people and animals jump when they saw her. A month ago, she would have avoided this event just to keep from being recognized; now she nodded back when someone noticed her but kept moving. 

It was Fen who finally approached them, pushing her way through the crowd to give Julia an enthusiastic hug. Julia hugged her back a little awkwardly. Fen had been at a few project planning sessions, but she’d avoided her, not wanting to answer any questions about the night at the hedge bar. But Fen acted like she was meeting a long-lost friend. “Julia!” she said. “I’m so glad you came. Margo wasn’t sure if you would.” She pulled back to beam at Penny and Charlie. “And you brought friends!”

“Fen, this is Penny,” Julia said, hesitating before deciding that was explanation enough. “And his daughter, Charlie.”

“Are you an alien?” Charlie asked, staring up at Fen’s elaborate curls and colorful dress.

Fen laughed. “I am,” she said. “But I bet I’m not the kind of alien you’re interested in.” She pointed across the grass to where a bear in a hat with a ribbon across his chest stood on his hind legs. “That’s my friend Humbledrum. Would you like to meet him?” 

Charlie nodded enthusiastically, so Fen trooped them all over to get introduced to a bear. Humbledrum amused Charlie by telling her jokes, all of which were puns on the word bear, and shook Penny’s hand so powerfully between his two paws that Penny was wincing and rubbing his shoulder by the time he got away. When it was Julia’s turn to be introduced, Fen gave her full name, and the bear paused, blinking. Then he reached for Julia’s outstretched hand, but instead of shaking it, he bent over it in something close to a bow. “Lady Julia,” he murmured.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Humbledrum,” she said. She saw a flicker of confusion on Penny’s face, but Fen didn’t seem to notice anything strange about the interaction. 

Humbledrum must have been more attuned to social cues than any other talking bear Julia had ever met, because he let go of her hand and said, in a more normal tone, “You people have done a lot of work on this portal.”

“It’s a big deal for the McAllisters,” Julia said. “Irene is hoping it will be just the first of many.” She glanced over towards where her boss was standing with a man in glasses and a grey suit. Julia had never seen him before, but he and Irene appeared to be arguing. 

“Well, this one will make all the difference for our people.” Fen reached out and squeezed Julia’s hand. “I hope you understand how much it means that you’re helping us go home. You and the Library, of course,” she added diplomatically.

“But enough of this,” Humbledrum said. “The little human looks bored.” He got down on all fours to face Charlie. “Would you like to meet the High King?”

“Yes! Daddy’s girlfriend said she’s a sloth!”

Humbledrum laughed. “She is. Come on.” He stood back up and held a paw out to Charlie, whose hand practically disappeared in his fur when she took it.

“Hey, kiddo, why don’t you go with Fen and, uh, Mr. Humbledrum,” Penny said. “We’ll watch you from back here.” Charlie wasn’t shy about that at all, waving goodbye to her father and hurrying off with Fen and the bear, but Julia gave Penny a confused look and he shrugged. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.” She could see Margo now, approaching the arch of flowers where Abigail hung on her stick with her translator and consort, Rafe, beside her. Rafe made a little bow to Margo that she returned like it was her due, though Edwin, beside her, clearly wasn’t happy with having his assistant recognized first. 

“I definitely don’t mind,” Julia said. “But why don’t you want to meet a talking sloth? You’ll only lose a week of your life, tops, saying hello to her.”

Penny smiled, but he looked uncomfortable. “It’s that guy up there, with your boss,” he said. “We have a history.”

“Oh.” Julia wasn’t surprised that Penny recognized Irene; she was one of the most famous magicians in the country. She studied her aggressively bland partner again. “Who is he?”

“He works for the Library.”

That made sense, since the Fillorian delegation would have come in through the Neitherlands. “I’ve mentioned that I don’t care at all about your criminal background, right?” Julia said. Maybe he’d stolen a map from the Library, like Vi. That was a perfectly normal reason for a Traveler to recognize a Librarian.

Penny laughed, wrapping an arm around her. “Criminal background? You make it sound like I was running the mafia.”

“Ooh, would that make me your… moll, is it? My dad used to watch mob movies.” She leaned into his chest, smiling up at him. “That’s very sexy.”

“Oh, yeah?” Penny leaned down to kiss her. “I’m glad you think so.”

Julia closed her eyes and went up on her toes for the kiss. She had wondered, when Penny picked her up, if being around him after sleeping with Kady would feel different, less intense, but if anything it was worse, like the two of them had become tangled in her brain and wanting one just made her want the other more. Which was a huge problem, but one for another time, she’d resolved. Tonight she was going to enjoy everything she could get from Penny.

After a moment of kissing, though, Penny pulled away. He smiled at her, muttering something about Charlie seeing them, but there was a distant look in his eyes. Julia wanted to ask, but before she could say anything, Charlie rushed back up. “Daddy, I talked to the High King!” she said. “And now I want to go ride a horse. It’s a talking horse, but Humbledrum says it gets paid, so that’s okay. Can I?”

Penny shrugged at Julia. “I guess we’re going to meet a talking horse.”

“I’ll wait here,” Julia said, not wanting a repeat of the bowing incident. Horses were even bigger on formality than bears. She turned to Fen as Penny was dragged away. “Hey, there’s a delegation from the Floating Islands here today, right? Do you know if they have any of those little sugar desserts?”

Fen’s eyes widened. “The ones that predict your future? I love those things! Let’s go check.”

Julia was able to get a tray of desserts and show Penny the ones she’d talked about in her profile and then they walked around some more, avoiding the official delegations and enjoying the food and music from the local Fillorian population. Shoshanna came by, incredibly high and with her face painted like a dryad, accompanied by a shirtless Todd in matching paint, and they dragged Fen away into some kind of elaborate folk dance. Julia refused to join the circle of shrieking, spinning dancers, but she did teach Penny a few steps. Charlie ate her weight in candy and played with a troupe of talking dogs, and by the time the actual ceremony was starting, she was in Penny’s arms, her head nodding on his shoulder. 

“I’m going to take her home,” Penny said softly to Julia. “Pick you up in a few minutes?”

“I’ll be over by the pond.”

Fen had returned, red-faced and out of breath, from the dancing and walked with Julia as she left the crowd. “Charlie’s a sweet child,” she said, a little wistfully. “And Penny seems very nice. I noticed the two of you are close.”

“Uh, yes,” Julia said, feeling herself blush. She tried to come up with an explanation that would make sense when Fen related it to James later, but Fen apparently didn’t need one.

“I won’t ask personal questions, but I’m happy for you. I thought you and Kady made an adorable couple, and I like Penny too. And of course, triad relationships are very common in Fillory.” Fen paused. “But you must know all about that.”

Julia nodded, not sure how to correct Fen’s mistake without making a bigger deal than she wanted to. “Yeah, it was an issue when we got there,” she said, smiling at the memory. “My friend Eliot, his relationship is… confusing, I guess, to people on Earth, but in Fillory the Pickwicks were only mad that he already had a wife and a husband picked out and so they couldn’t use him to make alliances.” 

Which hadn’t even been true when they got there, but Eliot, faced with marrying a stranger or worse, making Quentin do it, had tied the knot with Q the first night, and a few months later, after Margo slapped Princess Ess of Loria in front of the whole court, he’d proposed to her too to avoid further diplomatic incidents. Julia had not appreciated being the one left entertaining the heirs of every neighboring country and pretending to be interested in their suits, though in the end they’d all been dethroned before Margo could finish planning her wedding. Margo considered it the silver lining of losing their kingdom.

Fen smiled. “I didn’t realize when I first met you who you were,” she said. “James never mentioned. I’m sorry.” She gave a little bow, just a slight nod of her head. “Queen Julia the Merciful.”

“Not anymore,” Julia said. “And don’t worry about it. I haven’t thought about those days in a long time.”

“I don’t blame you.” Fen’s eyes darkened. “My family left Fillory when I was very young, but even I remember how terrible it was. I can’t imagine what you went through.” She looked back over the crowd of celebrating people. At the arch, Edwin was finally signing the contract with Irene beaming at his shoulder and her Library friend hovering in the background. “But that’s all over now,” Fen said. “The darkness is gone, and we can step into the light.”

“Walk forward from our mistakes,” Julia murmured, and shook her head when Fen gave her a questioning look. “Never mind.”

“I was a little confused when I met you,” Fen said.

“Why’s that?” Julia asked, though she could guess.

“James talked about you like you were the smartest and most interesting person he’d ever known. Oh, not that he still has feelings for you or anything like that,” she added. “But it was a little intimidating.” She smiled shyly. “But then I met you, and you were…”

“Depressed and unfriendly and chain smoking on the street at seven a.m?” Julia asked dryly.

“Different than I expected. But once Margo explained, it made sense. I think if I were you I wouldn’t want much to do with magic or Fillory either.”

“I didn’t for a long time,” Julia said. “But that’s been changing lately.”

Fen nodded. “I’m glad I got to know the Julia James always talked about today. She’s pretty great.”

“Thanks.” Julia paused. “I may have also misjudged you.”

“Flighty and weird?”

“Something like that.”

Fen shrugged. “I get it a lot.” She glanced over Julia’s shoulder, and Julia followed her gaze to see Penny shimmer into view, now sans-kid. “I’ll let you go. But you should bring your girlfriend and boyfriend to dinner some night. I’d really like to get to know you all better.”

Julia gave her a quick hug goodbye, then walked over to join Penny. He raised his eyebrows at her smile. “Never mind. It’s a funny story, but I don’t think I can explain it well.” She held out her hands. “Take me home?”

A moment later, they were standing in her front hall. Penny smiled, but that distant look was back in his eyes. “I should go,” he started to say, but Julia grabbed him by the front of his shirt and yanked him down, pouring the whole night’s worth of pent-up sexual energy into the kiss.

“No,” she said. “I think you should stay.”

Penny stared down at her for a long minute, his eyes dark and his face indecisive, until she was starting to feel self-conscious. Then he swore under his breath. “This is probably a terrible idea,” he said, but before Julia could question that he was kissing her again and she decided she didn’t care.

***

“Turn it off,” Kady said quietly.

“Why?” Marina leaned back in her chair, arms folded. All around them, her mirror station was filled with flickering images, but like Kady, she hadn’t been able to drag her attention away from Julia’s apartment. “It’s just getting good.”

On the silvered surface before them, Penny spun Julia around and pressed her up against the door, one arm locked around her waist, holding her so her toes barely brushed the ground, while his other hand wound through her hair. Kady knew exactly what that felt like, how soft Julia’s hair was and how she would be gripping his shoulders so tight that her nails would leave little marks, and what her perfume smelled like against the skin at her throat. But she knew what it felt like to kiss Penny too…

She closed her eyes and stepped away from the mirror. Penny had introduced Julia to his daughter, the most important person in his life. Even if she’d had any doubts left, that was enough to kill them off. “Stop the spell, Marina,” she said. “We don’t need to watch this part.”

“Relax. I told you I always turn it off when the clothes go away. No offense, but I don’t need to see your boyfriend’s bare ass - “

“Turn it off!” Kady took a shaky breath. For a second, she thought the other woman would refuse just to be stubborn. “This isn’t about the case anymore. Leave them alone, okay?”

“If that’s what you really want.” The double meaning in her voice was clear.

“It’s what I want.”

Marina gave the mirror a last look. “You’re an idiot. But okay.” She leaned forward to do the spell that would cut off the image, but before she could, Penny pulled back from Julia, cupping her face and staring down into her eyes. 

“I love you,” Kady heard Julia murmur.

“Well, shit,” Marina said, but Kady ignored her. She couldn’t stop staring at Penny. The angle wasn’t right for her to see his face, but she could read the tension in his shoulders. 

Then he turned a little, eyes meeting hers through the mirror, and cast something one-handed, low down by his hip. The mirror image blurred and faded out.

That message was about as clear as it could get.

“I’m going home,” Kady said to Marina. The other woman gave her a look somewhere between angry and worried, and Kady shook her head. “Don’t follow me this time.”

***

They’d made it as far as the couch, with Penny fumbling to cut off the mirror spells on every reflective surface they passed, before they pulled apart. By then, Julia had his shirt open and she’d lost her shoes. Penny picked her up and carried her the last few feet, her legs wrapped around his waist, his hands under her shirt. They half-fell onto the couch, Julia laughing, and Penny pulled back to press his forehead against hers and just breathe.

“I love you,” he said, again. He’d said it over and over as they kissed their way across the room, like if he said it enough he could - not convince himself, because it was true, but make it matter enough.

“I love you too.” Penny pulled back and looked into her eyes. She was sprawled on the couch, half-under him, her shirt pulled up and her hair a mess. She had the amazing smile, but was there something reluctant too?

Penny closed his eyes and pulled back.

“I don’t want you to think that this is about how I feel,” he said. “I love you, and I want to be with you, but we need to talk first.”

When he looked back at Julia, her eyes had dimmed. “Well, fuck,” she said. “And here I thought you were going to make this easy for me.”

“What?”

Julia carefully disentangled herself from him, sitting up and fixing her clothes. “You’re right, we should talk.”

“Oh.” Penny put a little distance between them, because if he didn't he was going to forget why this conversation was so important. “What did you want to talk about?”

Julia looked annoyed with herself. “I thought I could just go through with it, but I don’t want to screw up something good, Penny. I think I’ve already done that once. And I meant what I said, I do love you. But you aren’t the only person I’m seeing or… the only one I have feelings for.”

Penny knew he should have more of a reaction to that, but he had zero energy left for keeping up this pretense, and anyway, unless he’d missed a mirror no one was watching them anymore. “Alright.”

She stared at him. “Alright? That’s it?”

He shrugged. “Do you want me to get mad?”

“No, but I’d like an explanation for why you’re not. I would be.” Julia paused. “I think.”

Because he’d spent the whole day getting drunk with his ex and moping about what he’d thought he lost, and then he’d shown up at the McAllister building to a Julia who made his kid happy and danced barefoot in the grass with her arms around his neck and kissed him like she definitely wasn’t thinking of someone else. Alice was right. He was being an idiot, trying to sacrifice his own happiness when it wasn’t even necessary. Maybe Julia loved Kady, but she wasn’t faking what she felt for him either. Maybe Kady loved Julia, but…

_Because I love her too._

He realized he was grinning, and Julia was staring at him like he’d gone crazy. “I have a lot I need to explain to you,” he said. “And you’re probably going to be really pissed off when I do. But - “ He paused, still smiling stupidly, watching her face shift as she tried to put it all together. “But you know what, I can’t right now. Because I’m not the only idiot in this mess.” He stood up, grabbing her hands to pull her to her feet, and kissed her, long and hard. “I promise I am going to come back and explain everything, and let you yell and, I don’t know, curse me if you want to, and then if you haven’t put up an anti-Traveler ward on your apartment we will definitely pick this up where we left off, but there’s something I need to sort out first.” He kissed her again. “Can you let me do that?”

She looked a little dazed, but nodded. “Is it - is there someone else?”

“Yes and no. I swear, Jules, this will all make sense.”

“Okay.” She laughed. “This is crazy, but I said I trusted you on our second date, so I guess I’m getting what I deserve. And I need to sort some things out myself. In my own head, anyway.” She grabbed his hand. “But you better come back.”

“I promise.” He blurred out of the room.

A second later he was in Kady’s apartment.

“Kady!” he yelled, stalking through the kitchen and living room. “I need to talk to you!”

A light flicked on upstairs, and a moment later Kady appeared on the stairs, dressed in an oversized T-shirt and with the dog in her arms. “I have really got to start wearing pants,” she murmured, then blinked at him. “Penny?” She slowed as she came down the stairs, staring at him in confusion. “What the hell are you doing here?” She set the dog down on the ground and it scampered around Penny’s feet with little yipping growls. “You’re supposed to be - “

“With Julia? Yeah, that’s not happening.” He laughed. “I mean, hopefully it’s happening, hopefully it’s going to happen a lot, but not until we fix what’s going on here. Between us.” He set himself in front of her and glared down at her. “I’m done with our shit.”

Kady rubbed her eyes. “I’m sorry, I just got home, and Gavin gave me a ride so I’m a little disoriented, but last I checked you were kissing Julia and confessing your love, so…?”

“Marina showed you that? That’s another thing I’m done with. No more Marina spying on Julia or on you. That woman is weird and she does not belong in my relationships.”

“And here she is rooting for you.” Kady shook her head. “Look, Penny, I don’t know what this is about, but - “

“It’s about you, and me, and our girlfriend..”

Kady’s face hardened, her walls coming up. “Julia’s not my girlfriend,” she said. “I’m backing off, and you’re supposed to be telling her the truth.“

“And what about you and me?”

Kady paused, but not before he saw it, just a little flinch. Apparently the whole fucking Library was right. Penny was the only one who’d been so careful not to read into something that wasn’t there that he’d missed what was really, really obvious. “We’re friends. Partners.”

“What if I want more than that?”

“… What?”

“I’m in love with you, Kady.” He barely restrained himself from laughing as he said it. He couldn’t figure out why he hadn’t said it earlier. “And you’re going to have to deal with that.”

She stared at him for a very long time, her face blank. “Well,” she said finally. “Shit.”

Now he did laugh. “I agree.” He took a step closer to her. “So now we - “

“No.” Kady shook her head, a tight little movement, backing away almost like she was afraid of him. It made him pause. “No, Penny, what the fuck? _No_. I don’t - “

“You don’t love me?” He tried to catch her eyes. “That’s fine if that’s true. I promise, Kady, if that’s really what you mean, I’ll walk out of here and pretend we never had this conversation, and nothing will change between us. But I think it’s not.” His heart was pounding hard enough to hurt, but for once he didn’t doubt her feelings at all, because Kady was scared and she wouldn’t be if there was nothing here to be scared of. And he knew Kady; the list of things that frightened her was pretty short. “I think you love me back and you need to get over yourself and admit that.”

“You arrogant dick.” But it made her laugh, and stop backing away. She had made it to the stairs and she dropped abruptly to sit on them. “Fuck, Penny. You are screwing up this entire situation, you realize that?”

“No, I’m making it better.” He knelt down in front of her. “Come on, Kady, you know I’m right.”

“But you and Julia - “

“Yeah, me and Julia. And you and Julia. She makes us both happy.” He reached out and pushed her hair back from her face. “But you make me happy too, Kady. You have for years, and I let that go because I didn’t think you wanted anything more than what we had, and what we had was pretty much better than anything else I’d ever had going for me. I didn’t want to lose that.” He shook his head. “But that’s a stupid reason not to ask for more. So I’m asking, and if you really don’t want this, you have to be the one to say so.”

He stared at her, willing her to take the optimistic route for once. He didn’t have any more practice at it than she did, but… _come on, Kady._

She let out a long sigh and dropped her head into her hands. “I hate you so much right now.”

“I know. But that’s not all.”

“No, it’s - “ She looked up, staring at him with the bright, angry green eyes that had locked him in place in the Stacks nine years ago. “Oh, fuck,” she said, and then grabbed his shirt, dragging him closer. 

The kiss was… actually a lot like it had been nine years ago when she’d jumped him on a fountain, except that she tasted like fruity ice cream instead of whiskey, and they were both too sober to be smooth about it. Kady tried to stand up at the same time he did, banging their heads together, and tripped over the stairs trying to back up them and then _Penny_ almost tripped over the dog. Penny grabbed Kady’s waist, lifting her, and she pulled back to yell, “fuck, Penny, stop it, you can’t carry me up the stairs, I’m not _Julia_ ,” and he laughed so hard he almost dropped her. They untangled their legs, but they couldn’t stop kissing, and then finally Penny remembered that he was a Traveler and so they made it to the bedroom without breaking their necks. 

At the foot of the bed, Penny pulled back and a shadow went through Kady’s eyes. 

“Tell Marina to mind her own business,” he said, and the shadow faded

“Bye Marina,” Kady said, and cast a magic missile, shattering the mirror.

“That seems a little dangerous. Like overkill.”

Kady turned and grinned at him slowly, then pushed him back onto the bed.

***

“I don’t really pay attention to which wine is which, but I think this one is okay to drink,” Quentin said, returning from the newly-installed wine cellar in his apartment. “I’m pretty sure we’re not saving it for anything.” He set the bottle and glasses on the coffee table, then glanced at Julia. “If this is a wine emergency? You didn’t say but I’m assuming since you asked me to cancel on Margo and El.”

“I didn’t say you had to cancel,” Julia said from her place curled up in the club chair across from him.

“Sure, but…” Quentin shrugged, and Julia guessed that he meant _every time you call it’s an emergency._ He apparently decided it was better to just drop the subject. “I can meet Margo’s girlfriend another time. Anyway, uh, the one problem is I can’t find the wine opener, but I think I remember the spell for this.” He held his hands over the bottle, startling to twine his fingers together, then paused. “Is it Popper Seven or Seventeen first?”

“Twenty-seven. Here.” Julia stood up and leaned over the bottle, running through the tuts. The cork popped out of the bottle into her palm, and she smiled as she handed it to Quentin.

Who stared at her like she’d just done major magic. “Jules.”

“Yeah. Don’t make a thing.” 

“But it’s - you - okay.” Quentin poured two glasses of wine, only spilling a little, and they sipped quietly for a minute while he clearly fought not to ask any questions. After a moment, Julia took pity on him.

“This is what I wanted to talk to you about. I’ve been doing magic again. A lot of it.” She smiled. “Even did some mending.”

He laughed, but it sounded a little choked. Julia ignored this display of emotion, like she always did when he directed it at her. “That’s great,” he said. He sounded like he wanted to get up and cheer but was holding it in so he wouldn’t scare her away. “I thought you just wanted to come over and talk about Kady and Penny again.”

“Oh, I do. That’s part of it too.”

He smiled. “Which one of them do I thank for this change?”

She laughed wryly. “That’s the problem. And actually, before we get into all that, I wanted to ask you something else.” She bit her lip. “I want you to explain to me about Margo.”

“About her?”

“You know.” She shrugged. “You and her, and Eliot.” He started to blush, and she rushed on. “Not… not the details, I don’t think I need that. But the rest. I’ve never asked, because it always seemed complicated and like you guys didn’t really want to explain. “

“No,” he said. His face was bright red and he shifted restlessly, pulling his legs up onto the couch, but he looked thoughtful. “It’s not that I didn’t want to explain, it's just hard to….” He trailed off. Julia waited, recognizing the signs of Quentin Working Something Out and giving him time. “Eliot’s the love of my life,” he said finally. “He’s my husband, he’s… you know. Everything.” She smiled. “And Margo is his other half, in a different way. She’s something more important than a best friend to him. Oh, not that a best friend isn’t important but- “

She cut off his worried babbling. “I get it. Not more important than us, but _more_.”

“Yeah,” he said. “I knew that practically from the day we met them. No one could be with Eliot and not love Margo, it just, it wouldn’t make sense. Just like if Margo were to ever get serious about someone, they would have to love Eliot too. So…” He shrugged. “So I love her. For Eliot, originally, and because she was my friend, but eventually just because she’s part of us. An important part.”

“You don’t get jealous of her? When she kicks you out of her private time with Eliot?”

He laughed. “Oh, God, I do. All the time. She gets jealous of me too. And then sometimes we make Eliot jealous on purpose because we’re dicks.” He smiled. “But it's just part of the relationship. We work through it.”

“But you don’t love her in the same way as you love Eliot.”

“No, of course not. I’m not in love with her and she’s definitely not in love with me. Or….” He sighed. “Not that kind of love, exactly. I mean, the three of us… So, Margo and I aren’t really together like that, and neither are they, but Eliot likes to watch, you know, or, direct really - and then sometimes when he’s not around, Margo just likes sex a lot and I - “

“Okay, now we’re getting into those details I don’t need,” she said, sitting up and reaching for her cigarettes. 

She lit him a cigarette and did one for herself, and they smoked in silence for a minute. “Did this help?” Quentin asked finally. “With whatever problem you have?”

“Not really,” she admitted. “It’s not the same.”

“Ah.” Quentin fiddled with his cigarette. “Well, um, maybe… I don’t know if _this_ helps, but, El and I have a, uh, arrangement.” His eyes were darting around the room, not meeting hers. “Not an active one or anything, but we agreed a long time ago, if either of us ever met someone or had feelings for someone, a non-Margo person… We won’t give each other up, not for anything. So if that happened, we agreed we’d work it out.”

Julia stared at him. “And you really think you’d be okay with that? If Eliot loved someone else?”

He shrugged. “I can’t know for sure. But the alternative would be a lot worse.”

“But you think it’s possible to love two people like that.” She hoped he couldn’t hear the weird, half-hopeful note in her voice.

“I have no idea. Maybe you don’t love them the same way. But if it happened, or if there was someone else who loved Eliot as much as I do…” He shrugged. “I would want to try.”

“Yeah.” She blew out a cloud of smoke and stubbed out her cigarette. “Yeah, that’s it, isn’t it?”

Quentin gave her a minute, then asked, tentatively, “Do you want to explain what this is about now?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Julia half-smiled at him. “I’m in love with Kady, I’m in love with Penny, and I don’t know what to do about it.” She picked up her wine glass, playing with it. “But I told Penny tonight that there was someone else, and he didn’t freak out like I expected, so it got me thinking.”

“Thinking you could just date them both?”

She nodded. “Penny reminds me a little of James, you know? He makes me laugh, he makes me feel safe, but he doesn’t smother me the way James did. He challenges me too, in a way I need, and he makes me feel needed. And Kady, she’s nothing but challenges, but she’s also someone who I know will have my back no matter what, and she brings out this side of me that just… I want to show her how amazing she is.” She glanced up and groaned. “Stop looking at me like I’m the end of a heartwarming Christmas movie.”

“Sorry.” He didn’t sound it. “I’m just really glad to see you happy, and doing magic, and - Julia, if you can have them both without hurting them, and that’s what makes you happy, go for it, okay? Please.”

“I want to.” She laughed, shakily. “I can’t believe I’m saying this out loud, but yeah. I don’t want to choose. I want to make it work with both of them. And it’s early, right? So why not try?” She smiled back, though it only lasted a moment. “Which is great for me, but what do I do about them? They’re strangers. They have no reason to be onboard with this. Penny even sort of hinted he might have someone else - Is this too complicated?”

“No.” Quentin sat up and poured them each another glass of wine. “We just need to figure that part out. Come on, Jules, we’re good at plans.”

“We’re terrible at plans.”

“We’re _sometimes_ good at plans. Hey, maybe you could get them to fall in love with each other…”

***

Kady was vaguely aware when Penny left the bed; she mumbled a complaint when he pulled away from her, and a _thanks_ when he tucked the blanket around her before disappearing. At some point, she thought he came back, but that might have been a dream. If so, it was a good one; he said something she didn’t hear, but the tone was affectionate, and then kissed her and she was pretty sure she kissed him back.

When she woke up for real, it was full morning and he’d been gone long enough for the space where he’d been lying to cool down. Kady rolled over onto her back, stretched, and stared up at the ceiling.

She thought about Penny in this bed, and Julia, and even with everything, it made her smile.

The smile faded pretty quickly, but the memory was nice while it lasted.

After a moment, she got out of bed and found her clothes from the night before, digging around in her pockets until she located her silver book pendant. She looped the chain around her neck and did the spell to activate it, then murmured Zelda’s name. After a moment, the Head Librarian’s voice echoed in her ears.

“Kady,” she said. As always, there was a little thread of warmth beneath her brisk, professional tone. “I hope you aren’t calling in sick again.”

“No, not that. And sorry about calling this way, my mirror is, uh, broken.” She glanced at the pile of shattered glass by the foot of the bed and almost laughed. 

“Well, good,” Zelda said. “Then if this morning is still a good time, I would like you to stop by my office before you begin your day and we can discuss the details. Writing a binding contract takes some time and I want to make sure we get it right.” She paused. “Unless you’ve changed your mind?”

Kady stretched her hand out across the rumbled bed that she’d bought on an impulse years ago, and joked could fit three people easily. Then she sighed.

“No,” she said. “I haven’t changed my mind.”

***

“Julia?… _Julia_!”

Julia jerked awake, then moaned. “Ow, fuck. What do you want?”

Eliot’s blurry face wavered in front of her as she glared up at him. Even with her head aching and her vision messed up, she could tell he was laughing at her. “Good morning,” he said cheerfully.

“Is it?” Julia closed her eyes again, rubbing her face. “Doesn’t feel like it.” She squinted at Eliot suspiciously. “Why are you awake? Didn’t you and Margo stay out half the night?”

“No, we came back pretty early. The new girlfriend is… interesting,” he made a face, “but not much of a partier.” He sat down on the edge of the bed, still smirking at her. “As for what I want, you’re in my apartment. And you’re cuddling my husband.”

That made Julia raise her head enough to look around. They were in one of the few rooms in the apartment that never changed, the one they called the guest room but was really hers, and sure enough, she and Quentin were both lying on top of the covers, fully dressed. Quentin’s arms and one of his legs were wrapped around her, and beyond him Julia could see the last of the empty wine bottles.

“It’s not my fault he turns into an octopus in his sleep,” Julia said. She tugged at her arm, which had gone numb, and with Eliot’s help managed to move Quentin over to the other side of the bed. He immediately curled around a pillow that Eliot tucked in next to him, all without waking up, and Eliot patted him on the head before coming back around to pull Julia to her feet.

“Come on,” he said quietly. Some of the amusement faded from his face. “I need to talk to you.”

Margo was nowhere to be seen when they went out to the kitchen. Eliot made them both strong coffee, and they sat at the island. “Is everything okay?” he asked when they’d had a few minutes to get caffeinated. “We were worried when you called Q so late last night.”

Julia smiled. “Thank you. But no, everything is fine. Sorry if I messed up your plans.” He just shrugged. They’d all been messing up each other’s lives for so long it wasn’t worth talking about. “I just needed to talk about, you know, my whole situation.”

“Right.” Eliot tapped the side of the mug with long fingers, the kind of restless gesture that he usually managed to hide. “About that.”

The look on his face made her stomach sink in a way that had nothing to do with her hangover. “El?”

“You asked me to give that letter to Henry. He did the favor you wanted, called in all his contacts. He also told me what it was about.”

“Oh.” Julia closed her eyes. This was the part she’d avoided thinking about for the last few days, the part that she’d hoped was just her old paranoia. Ironic, that just when she’d brought herself around to thinking maybe she could be with both Penny and Kady she was going to find out that one of them wasn’t really in it for her. “Tell me,” she said. “Which one of them is it?”

Eliot’s face showed a degree of sympathy he usually tried to hide. He slid a folder with the Brakebills seal on it over and opened it. Julia stared down at the two sheets of paper, almost identical, except that the names and images under the Library seal were different. 

“I’m sorry, Jules,” he said. “It’s both of them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, how cute is Abigail in that picture?


	19. Flashback #4

“Charlotte?” Kady thought about it for a minute, then nodded. “Pretty. What about a middle name?”

“We haven’t decided,” Penny said. “Alice was thinking of naming her after a famous magician, but she hasn’t come up with the right one yet.”

“Ooh, name her after that battle magic pixie we met last week.” Kady blinked innocently. “What? She’s famous. I heard she got fired from Brakebills for teaching illegal spells.” She grinned. “Good legacy for your kid. And Alice’s too, actually.”

Penny glared at her. “I am not naming my daughter for a drunk pixie who almost blew me up because she didn’t know how to return her books on time.”

“If you’d remember to use a shield spell, you wouldn’t have that problem.” 

“I am never working a job with you again.” He’d probably have been more convincing if he hadn’t been fighting not to smile.

“Oh, come on. You had fun. If they won’t let you team up with your girlfriend, I’m the next best thing.” 

Kady had taken a while to come around on Alice. Her reaction when Penny had admitted that his occasional post-mission hookups with Alice had become something more serious had been odd. She’d teased him mercilessly, but there had been an edge to it. But that awkwardness in their relationship hadn’t lasted long, and now Kady and Alice had a friendship of their own after a case they’d worked together. It helped that Kady had finished her training and was now out on jobs of her own, which had put her in a lot better of a mood than the angry girl who’d been dragged through the Library’s door while he watched from the Stacks two years ago. These days, when Alice came up, she’d tease him, but nothing more than that.

But today she looked thoughtful. Penny had run into her on her way to Zelda’s office, and since he’d been headed there too, they’d walked together, and Penny had ended up telling her about their baby plans. He hadn’t expected this reaction.

“What?” he asked, when she continued to look introspective. It was a strange expression on her. 

“Nothing.” She shook off her mood and smiled. “I was just thinking, I never actually said congratulations, did I?”

“Eh, it was implied. It’s not like I expect manners out of you.” He nudged her arm. “But thanks.”

“Sure. I’m gonna spoil her. Just so you know.”

“I figured.” 

A couple of senior Librarians passed them as they turned into the hall leading to Zelda’s office, and they automatically fell silent. There wasn’t a rule about talking about your personal life in the Library or anything - most Librarians were gossipy as hell, probably from being around the biographies all the time - but Penny liked to keep that line. There was the Library, where they were under contract, Penny for another six years and Alice for four, and then there was their real life, in Modesto, where they had a half-built nursery and the world’s laziest cat.

He applied to the rule to Kady, too. There was the Library, where they were colleagues, and the rest of the world, where she’d become his… best friend sounded like something a ten-year old had, but he couldn’t think of another word that fit.

“I’m really sorry for not saying it earlier though,” Kady said again, once they were alone in front of Zelda’s door. She laid a hand on his arm. “I was just surprised. You and Alice - I never saw you guys as the type.”

“Oh, what, I can’t cut it?” It sounded like a joke. He mostly meant it as one. 

But Kady hesitated, and that hit harder than he’d expected.

Neither of them got a chance to say anything more, since the door opened at that moment.

“Ah.” Zelda stood perched on the threshold of her office, hands raised delicately in the air. “Just on time. I do appreciate punctuality.”

Penny shook his head, mentally pushing away the conversation with Kady. “Which of us did you want to talk to first?”

The Head Librarian blinked. “Both of you, of course.” She turned back to the office, waving for them to follow. “Quickly. I have many appointments today.”

Kady raised her eyebrows and Penny shrugged. They followed Zelda into her small, octagonal office, taking seats before her desk.

“Penny,” Zelda said, picking up a file off her desk. “I see you completed the extraction in Brooklyn?”

“One less idiot magician trying to reverse a week so he can avoid a fight with his girlfriend.”

“Lovely. And Kady, you’ve handled the situation with the editor of FuzzBeat?” Zelda’s mouth twitched primly at the name.

Kady sighed from her position slouched low in the chair beside Penny. “‘Principles of Conjuring Elementals’ is back on the shelves.” She didn’t sound happy about it, but then Kady never was happy about the outcomes of her missions, just the execution, so Penny doubted Zelda suspected anything. He was the only one Kady had told that one of the Library’s more notorious critics was effectively her stepmother.

“Excellent. In that case -” Zelda folded her hands primly over her desk and beamed at them. Penny would never have described her as “maternal” but there was a look like that in her eyes. “Penny, Kady, you’ve both finished your training, your time working with senior Agents and smaller missions on your own. That means it’s time for the next step. A partner.”

“A - oh.” Penny glanced at Kady, then back at Zelda. “You want us to work together?”

“Yes. I think your particular skill sets will match up well.”

He raised an eyebrow at Kady. “You good with this?”

She sighed very dramatically. “I mean, if I can’t have Gavin - “

“Oh, fuck that, you don’t want Gavin. Man gets distracted on half his missions. He’d leave you stranded somewhere and none of us would hear the end of it.”

Kady laughed. “Then I guess I’ll take you.”

Zelda waited until they finished, blinking rapidly. “Then it’s decided. Congratulations on your partnership. I’m sure it will be fruitful. Best of luck. We have high expectations for the two of you.”

Kady nudged his side with her elbow as they stepped back out of the office. “Fruitful, huh? Like all your partnerships lately.”

“Funny.” 

She sighed. “Don’t be a dick about this, Penny. I didn’t mean anything earlier. I don’t know anyone who’ll make a better dad. That kid is lucky.” He blinked at her, not used to that kind of sincerity, and she stared back, clearly uncomfortable. “I just thought you and Alice - I want you to be happy, okay? That’s important to me, or whatever.”

He was happy. There was a house with a nursery. Alice’s crossword puzzles that she finished every morning she wasn’t working, hunched over them scowling until she figured out every answer. They didn’t like any of the same food, but they had their separate things lined up together in the fridge and there was a side of the bed in her room that was his. Penny honestly kind of hated Modesto, but he still felt some tension ease whenever he Traveled to her living room after running from one dimension to another all day for the Library and she was watching a documentary on the couch or catching up on Library files in bed. 

He opened his mouth to say some of that to Kady - but none of it seemed like the important thing to say. “You too,” he said instead. “I want that for you.”

She smirked. “Oh, I’m thrilled,” she said. “And hey, you’re getting two partners now. Hope you can handle it.” She patted his arm as she passed. 

“You’re not funny,” he called after, grinning as her laugh echoed back.

It wasn’t the worst the Library could have given him.

***

Julia stopped at the edge of the forest, hesitating. “This is the place?” she asked. “I thought we’d go back to Ember’s cave?”

Shoshanna looked less like the servant of a god she’d once been and more like the victim of a massacre. Her hair was matted with dirt and blood from the battle - though Julia would hardly call such a sudden and brutal explosion of violence by that name - that had killed all her sisters, and she still wore the stained robes she’d been in when the royal delegation had found her. She’d refused to bathe, refused to change, refused to stop screaming for a full week before Julia had gone to the isolated room in Whitespire where they’d been keeping her and asked for her help. But she looked different now, despite the trappings. Her eyes were clear, if intense, when they focused on Julia.

“That place is cursed. We can’t go back there,” she said. Julia shivered, remembering Shoshanna’s wails echoing around the cave. “This will work. Summonings are tricky things, especially if the one you are summoning doesn’t want to be called.”

“Right.” Julia took a deep breath and stepped over the border between Fillory and the One-Way Forest. She followed Shoshanna along the path, trying to keep her steps as light as the other woman’s. Growing up in the city hadn’t left her with the right kind of skills for the life she was now leading.

_Nothing could have,_ she thought, and pushed back the urge to laugh hysterically. She and her friends might not be what Fillory needed right now, but they were what it had.

“This is really only a last-ditch effort,” she said quietly, unable to keep totally silent with the anticipation weighing her down. “King Quentin found another lead on the Leo Blade, and he and the High King have gone to - “

“They won’t find it,” Shoshanna said implacably. For someone who’d been hysterical just a day ago, she was eerily calm now, even when talking about how doomed her planet was. “The Beast got rid of anything that could kill him on this planet years ago. The Questing Beasts are dead, the weapons are gone, and anyone who could make something like the Leo Blade was driven into exile.” She looked back over her shoulder, her face pale and eyes dark pools in the dim light of the forest. “The only option left is something that isn’t _from_ Fillory. Something he wouldn’t have thought of.”

“Margo’s raising an army,” Julia said weakly. “Or trying to - “

“It won’t be enough.”

“Right.” Julia closed her eyes briefly and steadied her resolve. “Let’s go.”

A few minutes later, they stepped out into a clearing full of people. Some of them might have been native human Fillorians, or even from the neighboring countries; others were animals, or tall, green-skinned dryads. A few had the slightly-off appearances of things that could pass for human, but weren’t. They all stood in a huge circle, and they were all watching Julia.

Shoshanna joined them, and stared back at her, expectantly.

“Hi,” Julia said, then felt slightly ridiculous. No one laughed at her, though; none of these people looked like they did much laughing. “I’m Julia, Queen of Fillory. For now, anyway,” she added in a mutter. The question of how long they would get to remain on their thrones when there was no god to enforce rule from Earth was one they were all ignoring. “As you know, we have a bit of a problem at the moment. The Beast.” She expected a reaction to that, at least, but all she got was more staring. “He’s killed a lot of people, and creatures, in Fillory. Including your gods.” She pulled a scrap of paper from the bag she was carrying and smoothed it out, staring down at the spell that she’d finally convinced Dean Fogg to send from Earth. _Against my own good sense_ , he’d said, _but if there is anyone who can cast this, it is you._

She took a deep breath. “I don’t know if Ember could have killed the Beast, just that he was afraid enough to stop him before he could try. So that’s the only option I think we have left.” She held up the paper. “We’re going to cast this spell.”

“What will it do?” The question came from a young, pale creature; _a fairy,_ she thought.

“It’s going to summon us a new god.”


	20. Chapter 20

Penny was in a damned good mood when he got to the Netherlands that morning.

None of the usual little irritations bothered him - not the slight disorientation that came from trying to map the Neitherlands on his psychic gps, so that he landed rough and spilled a little of the coffee he’d brought from the place near Alice’s house; not the crowd of Agents passing to and from the Earth fountain, an endless sea of grey suits that he had to weave through at a snail’s pace; not the long line at the chute leading down to the Stacks, or the second line to portal over to the operations center. He was practically humming with contentment, and it spilled out as he passed a few colleagues, nodding hello. All of them look startled, and a few even jumped like the sight of Penny smiling frightened them. 

_Maybe I should do that more,_ he thought, then figured, _nah_. There was only one person in the Library he wanted to smile at.

Kady was at her desk, her back to him as she studied some paperwork, looking more engaged than she could usually bother to be this early in the morning. Marina’s desk just beyond hers was empty, but Pete was slouched at the fourth desk in their little square, picking at a breakfast sandwich. Penny removed one of the coffee cups from its tray and set it down at Kady’s elbow with a flourish.

“Good morning,” he said. “I brought you a refill.” 

Pete glanced up from his breakfast. “Aw, nothing for me.”

“Sorry, Pete, you’re not my favorite,” Penny said, getting a weird look from his co-worker. _Dial it down a little,_ he thought. _No need to give everything away._

He assumed Kady would want to keep their relationship quiet until their contracts were up. It made sense; it was just that now that he was here, with Kady in front of him, he wondered if he’d be able to manage it. He ducked down to whisper in her ear, “The coffee is an apology for sneaking out so early this morning. I just wanted to take Charlie to school.”

“It’s fine. Thanks.” She took a sip of the coffee without looking up, then set it down and picked up her papers without really looking at him. Her discomfort was obvious, which made him want to laugh again. Maybe it was a little mean, but he’d never known he had the ability to make Kady uncomfortable in public like this. 

He took his own seat, immediately sliding his chair closer to hers. “Think we can sneak out for a bit?” he asked. They should try to talk to Julia today, though he was actually wondering if they’d have time for a trip back to Kady’s bedroom first - before, or maybe after meeting Julia, depending on how that went.

“I have a lot to get done today.” Kady turned her chair to face him, though her eyes only briefly drifted towards his before returning to her papers. “Actually, I need to talk to you about some of that. Do you have a second?”

“Does it look like I’m doing anything?” Penny grinned, about to suggest they find somewhere more private to “talk,” but Kady launched into a speech.

“The other night, Harriet said something to me. I meant to tell you, but with - everything, you know, I didn’t get a chance. She said that the rumor at FuzzBeat is that there’s a major Library crackdown going on. Something to do with magical weapons.” She looked at him for a second before glancing away. “God-killing weapons.”

“Okay.” Penny took a minute to refocus from finding time for a quickie to their actual jobs. “Well, we know they’ve been going after Reynard for months - “

“Yeah, and he’s on the list. But it’s not just him. Every magician known or even rumored to have access to a weapon like that has been a target in the last year, even classical magicians who had permission to use them. Supposedly the Library sent Agents to Brakebills to look for some.” She tapped a pen against her stack of notes, frowning. “It seems to be about the weapons, not Reynard. Like the Library thinks they need them for something.”

“They’re powerful magical items. That’s the Library’s whole deal.” Penny tried to sound interested - he did like listening to Kady work out mysteries. She got passionate about it. He just wasn’t intrigued by this one, not when there were much more interesting things they could have been doing.

“I know, but Harriet also pointed out something weird. Of all the magicians with these types of weapons who the Library has actually gone after, the only one who’s gotten away from them is Reynard.”

Penny scowled. “Yeah, because that was us going after him, and we had bad intel.” His good mood faltered, remembering how Zelda’s bad information could have gotten Kady killed. 

“Right, we screwed up and Reynard got away, but there’s the weird thing. I dug out my old notes on the case and look.” She slid her chair closer to show him a list in her spidery handwriting. “Reynard has also been tracking down weapons. He’s gone after a whole list of smaller-level magicians and each time he’s come out on top. And they’ve usually died pretty gruesomely.” She set a second list beside the first. “Here’s the magicians he’s gone after, and here are the ones the Library retrieved weapons from. There’s no overlap.”

“Right,” Penny said slowly. “Because if Reynard got the weapons, the Library couldn’t.”

“But the point is, they didn’t try!” Kady gave him an exasperated look, which at least meant she made eye contact for the first time all morning. That was nice, even if she looked pissed off. Penny had always enjoyed the way her eyes flashed when she was angry or exasperated with him. “Penny, between the two lists, we’ve got pretty much every god-killing weapon in the records. The Library has spent the last year finding and cataloguing half of them, and the whole time they’ve been completely ignoring the other half, which Reynard has been tracking down. They’ve made a show of hunting Reynard, but they’ve been holding off on doing the one thing that would actually stop him from killing people!”

“Okay,” Penny said, finally starting to listen. “Okay, that’s weird, but what are you saying?”

“I don’t know!” Kady slumped back in her chair, running her hands back through her hair. “I don’t get it. Why _let_ him collect them like this?” She shook her head. “Harriet said there was a rumor about a traitor, but - _would you stop looking at me like that?_ ”

The last part was hissed in a lower voice, with a glance in Pete’s direction. 

Penny knew what she meant, and he got it now, this was serious - but he couldn’t focus on Reynard and their jobs, not with Kady sitting only feet away, all buttoned up in her Librarian suit, when he so clearly remembered leaving her wrapped in sheets that smelled like the two of them that morning. 

“Yeah, this sounds important.” He leaned forward and caught her eyes. “We should go talk about it, okay.” He lowered his voice. “In private.”

He thought she was going to refuse, but instead she sighed and nodded. “Fine.”

He led the way through the maze of desks on the floor until they reached the first empty corridor, then ducked around the corner. As soon as they were out of sight of any other Agents, Penny grabbed her by the waist and pinned her against the wall, kissing her. He expected some resistance, because they were at work and because she’d been acting so weird, but she gave in to the kiss immediately, running her hands up through his hair and twining one leg around his.

He was smiling goofily again when they finally broke apart. “That’s better. Good morning,” he said.

“Good morning, doofus,” she said, a fond smile on her lips. “Are you done?”

“For now.” He reluctantly pulled away from her.

“Good,” she said. “Because I really do think this is important.”

“I know. And hey, if you want to spend our last months here figuring it out, I’m in.” An odd look flickered over her face, and he rushed on, impulsively, because he could guess what she was thinking. Kady had never acted like she really thought their relationship could survive leaving the Library, and he doubted she’d changed her mind just because they’d slept together. She was a pessimist, like he was on every morning except this one. “Listen, I’ve been thinking. I know I sort of made noises about going to Modesto when my contract is up, but why? I’ve seen Charlie almost every day for the last two months without a problem living in New York, I can keep doing that. So I’ll keep my lease, and then - not rushing you, but your place is huge….” His voice trailed off. “Or not,” he said carefully, watching her. “If that’s too much for you.”

Kady’s face had gone through a transformation while he was talking, from soft and amused to nervous to stiff and remote. She dropped her eyes, shifting uncomfortably. “Look, Penny,” she started.

“Hey, don’t freak out on me.” He should have expected this. Just because he’d broken through her barriers the night before didn’t mean she was going to stop being _Kady_ , and her restlessness and tendency to shut people down was part of her. “We’ve got three months to figure this out.”

She shook her head. “Not for me.”

“Five months, whatever - “

“No.” She took a slow breath and finally met his eyes again. “I met with Zelda this morning and started the process of outlining a contract.” She paused. “One I’m going to sign. I’m going to become a Librarian.”

For a long minute, the words just didn’t make sense. “What?” 

“I know, it sounds crazy and you don’t approve, but - Penny, the Library knows about Harriet’s work. They know about the farmhouse and the hedges who go there. They always have. The Director never said it out loud, but it was implied that they were holding it over me. That’s why I signed the original contract in the first place, so I could protect them. Even if it means half of them hate me or don’t trust me, at least we’ve been able to go easy on the hedges we’ve been sent after and helped them find allies. And if the Library were ever to decide to crack down on Harriet or Mom, we’d be able to warn them. But I can’t do that if I’m not here. Plus…” She paused, then rushed on. “I don’t hate it here. I mean, I hate this place, I hate everything it stands for, but I feel like I’ve done good here. It's the only time in my life I’ve felt that way.” She stared at him. “Say something.”

There were a lot of things he wanted to say, but he couldn’t come up with the words for most of them. “This doesn’t sound like a recent decision,” he said finally.

She winced. “No, I’ve been thinking about it for a few months. Pretty much since we started talking about what we would do when our contracts were up. It’s just - it’s the best decision.” Her hand moved, reaching for his, but she dropped it before he could flinch away. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I know, after Alice… but to be fair, I wasn’t expecting you to drop an ‘I love you’ bombshell on me the night before I agreed to sign.” She gave a strained laugh, like it was already time for them to make jokes about it.

Penny definitely wasn’t there yet. “Do you really think us being together is what makes this suck so much?” he asked. “Going off and making this decision without even telling me was fine when we were ‘just’ friends?”

“Well, there was also that I was afraid you were going to react like this.” She rolled her eyes, laughing again in that same way, like she could just pretend none of this mattered. Like he was overreacting. “Look, I get it if you’re angry. And if you don’t want to work with me, fine, I’ve already talked to Zelda about doing some solo jobs for the next couple of months.”

“Wow, you’ve got this all worked out.”

“But don’t be pissed at me.” Her bravado faltered for a minute. “Come on, you don’t hate me that much just for being a Librarian.”

He had a whole fucking lot to say about that, but before he could, her phone went off just as his own buzzed in his pocket. Kady scowled, pulling her phone out and glaring at the screen. Her expression froze when she saw what was on there and she closed her eyes. “It’s Julia,” she said. “She’s texting me to meet up today.”

He checked his own phone. “Me, too. I told her we’d talk as soon as I sorted things out.” He laughed, rubbing a hand over his face. “Until ten minutes ago, I thought I knew what I was going to say.”

“Nothing has changed.” Whatever vulnerability had briefly slipped through her mask was gone. “You’re still out of here in a few months, and whatever life you’ve been dreaming of, you can still have it. Go talk to Julia. Explain. I’m sure she’ll accept it.” She smiled faintly. “Of the two of us, I’d guess you’re the easier to forgive.” 

“Kady - “

She pushed off the wall, twisting away when he reached for her. “Go call Julia, Penny,” she said. “I need to go. I have work to do.” She walked away without looking back.

Penny thought about running after her, but his feet were frozen in place. It was Alice’s voice that kept running through his head, _I didn’t think of us doing it together_ and _don’t you already have someone like that?_ So much for her seeing what he hadn’t.

After a moment, he opened Julia’s thread and texted _where do you want to meet?_

***

Kady made it up the stairs to the second floor, moving with no real destination, before the emotions caught up to her. When they did, she froze, bending over, her breath going out of her in a rush. Months of holding on to her decision, hiding it from Penny so she wouldn’t’ have to see that bewildered, betrayed look, and then weeks since Julia had come into their lives, pretending… And it had still managed to hurt more than she’d imagined. She leaned against the wall, closing her eyes, and told herself that it didn’t matter. This was what she had always known would happen.

After a minute, she calmed down and walked around the corner. Pete was coming toward her, and he raised an eyebrow when he saw her. “Done with your tryst?” he asked. “Or, I guess you’re on your way to Marina’s, so maybe getting ready for another one?”

“Shut up, Pete,” she said. There, that was normal. 

She did go into Marina’s mirror station, mostly because she needed to go somewhere, and she didn’t want to return to her desk until Penny had left. Marina was at work, five different mirrors flashing images at her while she looked rapidly between them, taking notes, but she managed to glance over when Kady walked in. “Hey,” she said, her eyes flickering over Kady with the same sharp attention she gave the mirrors. Her tone was casual, but Kady didn’t miss the intense interest and flicker of concern before Marina turned back to her work. It made her wonder how she hadn’t seen it all these years. “I don’t have anything for you, except that I need to know if you want me to take down the rest of your spells in Julia’s apartment.”

“Probably.” Kady leaned her hip against the extra chair in Marina’s tiny room, folding her arms. “I don’t think I’ll need any more information on her.”

“Should I ask Penny first, or…?”

Kady shrugged. “If you want.”

Marina studied her, while Kady resolutely stared at the mirrors. After a moment, Marina got distracted. “Looks like your girl is on the move.”

Kady focused on the mirror Marina was looking at, which showed Julia’s office at the McAllister corporation. Julia and her bubbly assistant were talking as they walked towards the door, Julia glancing down at her phone. There was a final exchange and then the assistant left, and Julia picked up her purse. Kady watched as she pulled out a mirror and fixed her hair and makeup, a strangely nervous expression on her face. She had to be going to meet Penny, but she didn’t look like a woman in love running off for a lunchtime date. Maybe she wasn’t taking Penny disappearing on her the night before as well as he’d thought.

_You idiot,_ she thought, _you’ve managed to hurt her and yourself, I swear I will never let you hear the end of it_.

“I can’t believe you actually got a mirror spell in the McAllister offices,” she said. “I thought that place would be warded better than anywhere except the satellite libraries.”

“You’d think,” Marina said, a dark note in her voice. “But it was strangely easy.”

There was no point to watching Julia, but Kady couldn’t tear her eyes away. She followed the trail of reflective surfaces through the McAllister offices as Julia said goodbye to her assistant, then made her way down the hall to the elevator. The images weren’t great - outside the offices themselves, there were only the windows, which didn’t hold spells well - but when Julia got to the elevators, the reflection became stronger, and there was a long moment where she stood waiting for the elevator and Kady just got to stare at her face, feeling stupid but still trying to memorize every detail. Then the door opened, breaking the image, and Julia stepped - 

“Whoa!” Kady shot up, leaning closer to the mirror. “What was that?”

“What was what?” Marina looked alarmed. 

“That man!” In the mirror, the elevator closed again, restoring the image, but the man was gone. _“Shit.”_

“Kady, what?”

Kady stared down at Marina. “I think that was Reynard.”

Marina sat up straighter. “What are you talking about?”

“Right before Julia got on the elevator, I saw her boss go by in the background. Irene McAllister, you know?” Marina nodded impatiently. “There was a man with her. I wouldn’t have even noticed him, except that he turned to look at Julia and he had this weird expression on his face - but Marina, his eyes were yellow. I swear, it was Reynard.”

Marina stared at her for a long moment, then let out a very emphatic _“Fuck.”_

“No kidding.” Kady turned back to the mirrors, attention jumping from one to the other, but Irene and Reynard weren’t on any of them. “Can you find them?”

Marina ran through a series of tuts, making the images flash by too fast for Kady to comprehend, before shaking her head. “I don’t see him, but if Irene was with him - her office was the only place we weren’t able to get a spell in.”

“Figures.”

“Yeah,” Marina said, but she looked thoughtful. “Dammit, Quinn was right.”

Kady’s eyes snapped down to her. “Alice was right about what?” 

Marina gave her an irritable look. “You’re not the only one who can talk me into a little off-the-books surveillance. Though not for the same reasons.” She smirked. “Unfortunately.”

_“Marina - “_

“Relax.” But Marina’s _give-no-shits_ attitude didn’t feel as convincing as usual. “Alice came to me a few months ago and asked for some help. Apparently when she was working on the Fillory project, something about the contract the McAllisters signed with the Library felt wrong to her. She took her suspicions to Zelda, and Zelda didn’t think there was enough to go on, but Alice is like you. Zelda lets her get away with shit.” Kady wanted to protest that - Zelda didn’t let her get away with anything, except maybe stealing cookies from her office - but she wanted to know what was going on more, so she kept her mouth shut. “So she said that if Alice found out anything more, she’d reconsider looking into it. Alice took that as tacit permission to do her own investigation. Or at least, as enough for a ‘better to ask forgiveness than permission’ situation. You know, it’s too bad she has such a stick up her ass because she really is quite devious - “

“She has a girlfriend, Marina,” Kady interrupted. “Stick to the point.”

“Since I already had the McAllister offices under spells, Alice asked me to track anything suspicious and give it to her so she could do her own analysis, separate from what the official Task Force was giving to the Director.” She shrugged. “So I made copies of my notes for her.”

“Okay, and? Did Alice find anything?”

“Well, she sure found a reason not to share her findings with the Director.” Kady glared, not enjoying the stalling tactics, and maybe Marina picked up on her urgency, because she leaned in, explaining. “Irene and the Director have been holding regular meetings in her office. He’s there at least once a week, which at first seemed weird, since the contract has been signed for almost a year. But then last week while he was there, Irene took out the contract and we figured it out. There’s a whole section to it no one else had seen. It was hidden; you needed to cast an invisible ink spell just to see it. Signed only by the Director and Irene.”

“What does that mean?”

“I have no fucking idea, except that Irene and Everett have some deal on the side, and it’s related to the Portal.”

The portal which Julia had built. And Reynard had seen Julia in the office, had turned and looked right at her. “Marina,” Kady said. “Do you trust Alice?”

“I do.” Marina narrowed her eyes. “Why? Do you trust me?”

Kady smiled. “Not with my personal life, or the privacy of my bedroom, but yeah. You’re a hedge, right?” Marina huffed a laugh. “I need you to do something for me. Tell Alice I found out something. The Library has been collecting god-killing weapons, but they’ve also been letting Reynard do the same thing. It didn’t make sense, but if Irene is meeting secretly with Reynard, and also with Everett, there has to be a connection. And Harriet told me that there’s a traitor in the Library.”

“Wait, you think the traitor is the _Director_?” Marina frowned. “Well, he is a slimy little toad, so I’d believe it.”

“Just tell Alice. Reynard is in New York, and whatever Everett and Irene are planning, it’s probably going to happen soon.”

“Okay, but where are you going?” Marina asked as Kady started for the door. 

“Reynard saw Julia,” she said. “He has some connection to her, and the Library was afraid he was going to track her down, right?” Marina nodded. “So maybe he won’t do it right away, but - I can’t take that chance.” She hesitated. “And she’s meeting Penny right now.”

Marina sighed and rolled her eyes. “Well, love makes you stupid, but I guess it’s too late to do anything about that. Go. Check on your boyfriend and your girlfriend.”

Kady didn’t bother to argue with the terms. “Thanks, Marina.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll collect.”

Kady ran down the stairs to her desk. “Pete,” she said. “Have you seen Penny? Did he leave yet?”

“Yeah, but he put a note on your desk.” Pete nodded to a sticky note in the middle of Kady’s blotter.

She picked it up, recognizing Penny’s handwriting. It was an address and underneath it a note: _Just in case you don’t want to fuck this all up after all._

“Guess I don’t,” Kady muttered, and ran for the fountains.

***

Julia had spent the morning having a long argument with Eliot, Margo and Quentin about where to meet with Penny and Kady. “The Stonery makes sense,” Margo had said. “We can all be there, you can tweak the wards for privacy, and at the first sign of trouble we - “

“You’ll what?” she’d said. “Blast a pair of Library Agents with battle magic? How do you envision that ending well for any of us?”

“It will end better than if they kidnap you,” Eliot had pointed out. He’d retreated to the kitchen to make breakfast, and was pretending not to be worried about the whole situation, but she could see the concern in his eyes every time he looked at her.

“Actually, it won’t,” Julia said. She’d turned to look at all three of them. “I know you’re worried, but this is the Library. Even if they did set Penny and Kady on me, it wasn’t to hurt me. They’ll just want information. That’s all they ever want.”

Her friends hadn’t looked convinced. “They disappear people,” Margo said.

“Not people with McAllister on their paychecks. That would be a stupid move just when they’ve come to an agreement with Irene.” Julia ran a hand through her tangled hair and sighed. “Look, I’m pretty fucking angry that Penny and Kady might have been lying to me this whole time, but I really don’t think they mean to hurt me. We all know the Library has been harassing us for information about what happened in Fillory for years. This is just a step above sending us letters every other week. You all probably have Agents trailing you too and you just don’t know it.”

Eliot and Quentin looked alarmed; Margo’s expression was something less readable. “I do know someone at the Library,” she admitted. “Maybe I could ask her…”

“If you want, but I’m not waiting for more information.” She’d gathered up her things. “I’m going to go home, get ready for work, and then tell Penny and Kady I want to meet for coffee. I’ll confront them with what Henry found out and let them explain.”

“And trust their answers?” Margo sounded outraged.

“I don’t know,” Julia admitted. She shouldn’t, that was obviously foolish, especially now that moments like Penny taking her to Fillory or Kady flirting with her that first day had a whole new context. 

But Kady had introduced her to her hedgewitch family. Penny had let her meet his daughter. Surely none of that could have been on Library orders.

“I’m going to give them a chance,” she said. She met each of her friends’ eyes one at a time. “Maybe it’s crazy, but I think some of it was real. I just need to know how much.”

Eliot and Margo both opened their mouths to argue, but Quentin cut them off. “Okay,” he said. “Good luck, Jules.”

“What!” Margo exploded. “Are you still drunk, Coldwater? She can’t - “

“Julia doesn’t trust people.” Quentin walked over and took her hands, squeezing them. “I don’t think I’ve seen you trust anyone outside our circle since Fillory. But you trust Penny and Kady?”

Julia hesitated. “I really want to,” she said.

“Then do it.” He raised his voice before the others could say anything. “And we’ll be in the neighborhood, and she’ll have her phone, and the second something goes wrong we’ll be there.”

Julia could count on one hand the number of times Quentin had taken charge of their group, but it was always effective, probably because everyone was so surprised when he stopped waffling and gave orders. Margo shut her mouth, though she still looked mutinous, but Eliot only said, “Use that little sandwich shop across from the Stonery. I still want one of Josh’s bagels.”

So now Julia was sitting in a tiny shop in Greenwich Village, with her friends in sight across the street, waiting for Penny.

Kady still wasn’t answering her text messages. Julia scowled at her phone. She’d hoped to confront them together, so she could see what they acted like around each other. If they were really working together, then the chances that at least one of them had been faking everything - 

No. She wasn’t going to think about that until she had to.

The bell over the door dinged, and she looked up as Penny walked in.

Her first thought was that she barely recognized him, like she was looking at some alternate timeline doppelgänger. Her Penny favored colorful, loose clothes with open buttons, but this guy wore a suit and tie, like he’d come from some corporate job. The suit was grey, like every Librarian she’d ever met had worn. Even though she hadn’t doubted Henry’s information, it still made her stomach sink, checking another box on the They Were Lying This Whole Time checklist.

But it wasn’t just his clothes that had changed. Penny had always projected an aura of confidence, but today he seemed on edge, and when he met her eyes and smiled, it wasn’t convincing. He bent down to give her a brief kiss, but there was none of the usual warm, intense focus on her. He looked tired and distracted as he took the seat across from her at the little table. 

“Sorry that took longer than I expected,” he said.

Julia wrapped her hands around the tea she’d ordered. Chamomile; Shoshanna would approve. “Do you want anything?” She nodded towards the counter, where an elderly woman was giving him a dirty look. Julia and Penny were the only people in the shop this early and she clearly didn’t appreciate the place being used as a meeting spot for non-paying customers.

Penny shook his head. “I’m good.”

Julia studied him for a moment longer. “You didn’t take very long, actually,” she said. “I was surprised you were able to meet on such short notice. But then you’ve never actually told me what you do for work, or if you do anything.”

He shifted. “Jules- “

“And I haven’t asked, because I never met a Traveler who made a living doing something legitimate,” she went on. “I think now that was an oversight.”

“Right.” Penny looked confused more than anything else. “Yeah, we can definitely talk about it.” He laughed, and Julia thought it was supposed to be charming, but it sounded more awkward than anything else. “I thought you’d want to talk about the other night - “

She picked up her tea, neatly avoiding his reach for her hand. “We’ll get to that,” she said, taking a calm sip. Inside she was shaking, but she was goddamn Queen Julia of Fillory. She could handle an interrogation and keep her manners too.

“Okay,” he said. He looked down, then nodded slowly. “I think you’re right. There is a lot I need to explain. The thing is - “

The door to the shop banged open, the chimes drowned out as it slammed against the opposite wall. And Kady stormed in.

She was also wearing a grey Librarian suit, her hair braided back in a style Julia had never seen before, but unlike Penny she looked exactly like she always did - a force of nature, storming up to their table and ready to knock Julia’s ordered life out of line. Only when she got there, she stopped, her eyes on Penny. “Uh… hi,” she said.

“Hi.” Penny stared at her. 

“Hi,” Julia said pointedly, when they both ignored her. “Kady. Nice of you to show up. I wasn’t sure you were going to.”

“Oh… yeah.” Kady dragged her eyes away from Penny; it seemed to take an effort, and after a quick glance at Julia, they went back. She stared at him intensely, like she was trying to convey a message.

It was not the stare you’d see between two people who’d just met. It was Quentin/Eliot/Margo levels of communicating without words, and with that, Julia’s last hope that she was paranoid and Henry was wrong faded. Kady and Penny weren’t strangers.

She waited, but neither of them said anything. 

“Kady, this is my friend Penny,” she said finally, unable to handle the silent staring. Better to force it into the open. “Penny, Kady.”

She waited for them to drop the act, but instead, Penny slowly stood up and extended a hand. “Hi, Kady,” he said, and she just as carefully took his hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, you too.”

“You and Julia are, uh, are friends?”

“Yeah. We met… around here, actually. A few weeks ago, I think.”

“That’s nice.”

Julia, watching them have this very ordinary conversation in slow, almost robotic voices, began to consider that she was going insane.

She stood up. “Can you excuse me for a minute?” she said. They barely seemed to notice as she stepped away from the table, making for the bathroom at the back of the shop. When she glanced back, they were still staring at each other, stilling holding hands, and the looks they were giving each other - 

Julia locked the bathroom door behind her and pulled out her phone. “Q,” she said when her best friend answered. “Something really fucking weird is happening.”

***

As soon as Julia was out of the room, Penny dropped the psychic-speech and switched to words. “And you think he followed her here?”

“I don’t know.” Kady closed her eyes briefly, and her mind faded from the edges of his as she replaced her wards. Penny didn’t blame her; after the John Gaines incident, he wanted her wards as secure as possible, especially if Reynard was out there. There was still a sense of loss to her retreating from his mind, though. As soon as she’d arrived in the shop and he’d felt her mind open to him, he’d been hit with everything she was feeling - for him, for Julia - and beneath the anxiety for both of them had been a lot of the kind of softer, squishier feelings Kady didn’t like to admit to, all tied together with an intense string of loyalty and love. 

He wanted to grin and punch the air, or maybe give her a very stern _I told you so_ , but that wasn’t the important thing right now. Because Kady had also conveyed all the information she, Marina and Alice had put together about Reynard and Everett.

“You don’t think she’s in on it, whatever it is?” Penny asked. “Because her boss is?”

Kady shook her head. “Marina says whatever the contract is between Irene and Everett - or maybe the two of them and Reynard - it’s private. I really doubt anyone else at the McAllister Corporation knows.”

“Alright.” Penny ran his hand back over his hair. “Okay, we need to tell her the truth. I was about the explain about the two of us - “

“But that’s not the important thing now,” Kady agreed with his thought before he'd finished it. He’d noticed that before, the way after a moment of psychic connection they were more in tune with each other. Or maybe that was just the two of them, knowing each other so well except for in the one way they’d been blind this whole time. “We need to tell Julia what we know about Reynard. She has to know he’s looking for her.”

The gasp was so quiet that Penny at first thought he was hearing something, but Kady’s ears were sharper than his. She glanced over his shoulder and swore, then made a run for the hallway leading to the bathrooms. Penny chased after her, catching up at the open door leading out onto the street. The alley behind the shop was deserted, but the main road began just feet away, and when they got there, he couldn’t spot a familiar face in the crowd.

“She heard us?” he asked, and Kady nodded. “Shit.”

***

Quentin had put the call on speaker, and between him, Margo, Eliot and the occasional input from Josh, they’d managed to calm her down. Quentin had sounded disappointed as they all agreed it wasn’t a good sign that Penny and Kady were still lying about knowing each other, “but anyone would sound awkward doing that. Just go back and tell them you know the truth and then… I don’t know, hopefully they’ll have an explanation.”

“If they don’t, you deserve better,” Josh said, and Margo added, “honestly, even if they do have an explanation she deserves better - ow, El, what the fuck! Yes, I know it’s Julia’s decision - “

She’d hung up on her squabbling friends and walked back out into the shop, determined to cut through whatever act Penny and Kady were playing out.

But right as she’d stepped into their line of sight, Kady said, “We need to tell Julia what we know about Reynard. She has to know he’s looking for her.”

It wasn’t like the other night at the farmhouse, when she’d seen Harriet spell out that name and frozen. This was pure instinct, and she was out on the street before she’d fully registered what she was doing, casting an illusion spell so she’d blend into the crowds as she ran towards the Stonery.

The Library had never shown any interest in _him_. But Kady and Penny knew his name, they said he was _here_ , and her friends were right across the street… Julia hesitated at the crosswalk, forcing herself to think.

Reynard couldn’t hurt her friends, not directly anyway; that was one the one thing she’d made absolutely sure of. Yes, he could do something almost as bad - threaten a bystander to make them comply, for example, there had been all kinds of things Julia had been too young and inexperienced to think of when she’d made their deal - but that was just a reason not to get her friends involved. As long as she didn’t drag them into her mistake, Reynard had to leave them alone. She turned back, irresolute, rubbing absently at the invisible brand on her palm. She probably needed to tell them, but she couldn’t lead him straight to them, and Penny and Kady were - 

A group of businessmen in suits, out of place in this neighborhood, passed her, brushing against her as they stepped onto the sidewalk. One of them took her by the arm, and Julia started to irritably shrug him off, when he said, in a low, distinctive voice, “Hello, Ms. Wicker. I think it’s time we had a chat.”

She turned to look at him, but the world spun and they were moving before she could act.


	21. Chapter 21

“It was only a minute,” Penny said. “Where could she go?”

“I don’t know,” Kady said, for the third time.

“I don’t blame her for being angry. I’m pissed off at us too. What the hell kind of plan was this Kady? Because it was fucking terrible.”

“Mine, so, yeah,” Kady said wryly. She fumbled with the chain around her neck, tugging it free of her irritating, high-collared shirt. 

“I went along with it, even though I knew it was going to end badly, and now look, I was right. Big surprise.” Kady gave him a mild glare and he looked embarrassed. “I’m not blaming you, it’s just who runs off like that? When she just heard us say there was a psycho magician, or more-than-magician, whatever the hell that is, after her - “

“Penny,” Kady snapped. “I get that you’re worried, but could you shut the hell up for a second?” She dropped the pendant into her palm and tried to remember the tuts. They’d gone over this in her training, but that was seven years ago and she’d never used it. The first half, to set the spell, was easy enough, but to activate it you - 

“Why aren’t _you_ worried?” Penny was looking at her with narrowed eyes. “I thought you said you loved her. But now you don’t care that she could have been kidnapped off the street right in front of us by some monster who’s been hunting her for months?”

His attitude would have set her off on any other day. But Penny never remembered that when he invaded her mind, she could feel him too. Not the way a real psychic would, but there was a transfer. And when she’d dropped her wards and opened everything up to him, needing him to get the whole story faster than she could think the words, she’d felt him. It had been like being wrapped up in one of his rare hugs, totally engulfed in a sea of fierce, protective love, and while a lot of it had been directed at her, there had been a distinct strain that was meant for Julia. 

She was worried too, or she should have been. But after feeling Penny like that, the way he thought of the three of them, all entwined together, there was no way she was letting anything happen to either one of them. It was that simple. She just had to find Julia and not let Penny get himself killed in the process.

She held up the pendant. “I’m not worried, because nothing is going to happen to her, because we’re going to show up to save her cute ass and then let her tell us off as much as she wants. I put a tracking spell on her.” She frowned at the cheap Coney Island friendship necklace. “I just need to remember how to activate it…”

There was a pause, and then he came closer. “A tracking spell? That’s creepy. What does that necklace even say?”

“It says none of your damned business, Penny. Do you remember how the activation spell starts? I used the standard Library version.”

“Yeah, I think it’s forty-one.“

“Really? I thought it was forty-eight.” She ran through a few tuts. “And then it ended with - “ Kady barely caught the flash of movement out of the corner of her eye before he was suddenly ripped away. 

“Penny!” she yelled, or tried to, but she was flung off her feet and through the air, slamming into the wall behind her hard enough to drive the oxygen from her lungs. A crushing force pressed down over her face and chest, but she could still see, and she struggled to turn her head and figure out where he’d gone. 

He was a few feet away, on the ground but already scrambling up, with two strange men coming at him from either side.

“Stop fighting and you’ll be able to breathe,” said a calm, female voice somewhere to her left. Kady ignored it, still struggling as Penny finally got to his feet. Her partner was nothing if not predictable; the best magical training in the world at his fingertips, but he was still a scrappy kid at heart and so instead of a spell he threw his whole body at his attackers. The closer of the two, a short guy with longish brown hair, was clearly not expecting that, and Penny got in a solid punch, knocking him down, before the second man cast and her partner hit the wall beside her, pinned by the same spell.

“Don’t do that again,” the tall man said, voice icy, before turning to help the other to his feet. Kady blinked, confused, as he fussed over the shorter man’s bleeding nose. That didn’t exactly look like the behavior of one of Reynard’s minions.

“Yeah, that was a dumb move.” Kady’s attacker, a petite woman who still looked twice as dangerous as the other two put together, sounded amused. “Eliot’s never been big on deliberate battle magic, but you managed to hit one of his weak spots. Literally.” She turned her head slightly, without losing her focus on Kady. “You okay, Q?”

“I’m fine, Margo,” the short man muttered, wiping at the blood under his nose. “That just really hurt.”

“I told you to lead with the forcefield spell.” The woman shook her head. “So now what do we do with them?”

It was the names - that, and the woman’s voice, which she’d heard the night they’d broken into Julia’s apartment - that made it come together. Kady sucked in as much air as the spell pinning her to the wall allowed and managed to get out, “Julia’s friends?”

“That’s right.” The shorter man shook off his partner’s - no, his husband, she remembered them now from Marina’s files - attention and came to stand beside the woman, Margo. “We were waiting for her across the street, and then she came out here and someone grabbed her. A guy in a suit like yours. So you’re going to tell us where they went.” Despite being possibly the least threatening magician Kady had ever seen, his voice was deadly serious.

Penny scoffed. “Or what?” he asked. The effect was minimized by the spell holding him in place; Kady turned her head enough to glare at him. An idea had begun to form in her head. She twisted one hand enough to wave a little, getting her captor’s attention, then pointed to the ground with a _let me down?_ expression.

Julia’s friends exchanged a look filled with a lot of silent words, and then the woman nodded slowly. “Try to run - or Travel and I’ll rip your favorite parts off.” Kady got the impression she might mean that literally. The other three magicians took a step back, and seconds later Kady and Penny dropped to their feet.

Penny was on her practically before she’d regained her balance. “Hey, are you okay?” he asked. He ran his hands over her arms like he was looking for injuries.

“I’m fine.” Kady caught his hands to stop him. “I’m not the idiot who decided to go with a punch instead of a spell.”

“I lean into my strengths.” Penny flashed her a half-smile, a familiar expression from a dozen close calls over the years, and Kady had to remind herself that the ridiculous feeling it gave her had no place in the middle of a job. 

“Hey!” Margo snapped her fingers. “If you two are done with the Hallmark moment, we have a problem here.” 

Kady, realizing she was still holding Penny’s hands, pulled away. “Yeah, we do have a problem,” she said. “I think you’re right and Julia’s in trouble. If you’re done throwing us around, maybe you could think about helping with that?”

“What?” Penny hissed, but she shushed him. She’d told Marina to get Alice’s help, and maybe they had other allies, but if not… 

The three exchanged another one of those mind-reading looks. “Why did she run off?” Eliot asked finally.

Kady glanced at Penny, who shrugged. “She heard us talking about a magician who may have been looking for her the last couple of months. A guy named Reynard.”

The short guy, Quentin, muttered, _“shit,”_ and even the unflappable Margo looked shaken. “She always gets twitchy as hell about Reynard,” she said.

“Do you blame her?”

“Well, considering he eviscerated a whole bunch of people she’d promised to protect - “

Quentin took a step forward. “That wasn’t her fault!”

“I’m not saying it was - “

“Okay, wait.” Eliot settled a hand on each of the others shoulders, quieting them, and turned to Kady. “You’re sure it’s Reynard? And he’s after Julia.”

“Yeah, we’re the fucking Library,” Penny snapped, making Kady raise her eyebrows. “We know.”

“O-okay, well, that doesn’t make sense.” Eliot glanced between his friends. “Julia is the one person Reynard can’t hurt. They have a deal. Word as Bond. He can’t touch her or her friends.” He made a face. “I mean, it’s not a great deal, and he found a lot of loopholes back in the day, but she’s not one.”

“Then what does he want with her?”

Eliot raised an eyebrow, but it was Quentin who grumbled, “I don’t know, aren’t you the fucking Library?”

Penny made a growling sound, but Kady grabbed him by the arm. “Look, we need to find her, alright? Are you guys willing to help us?”

Margo and Eliot hesitated, but Quentin said “Yes.” He glared at the other two. “I’m not saying we should trust them, but Julia did, even after she found out they were with the Library.” Beneath Kady’s hand, Penny flinched, and she thought, _of course._ Of course Julia, one of the smartest people she’d ever met, hadn’t fallen for their games. A flicker of sadness went through her as she guessed how Julia really felt about _them_. But it wasn’t what mattered right now. 

If they found her, they would have a chance to fix all of it.

“Good.” Kady held up her half of the best bitches necklace. “I tried a tracking spell - yeah, I know it’s creepy - but something went wrong.” They all looked at the pendant, which was sending up tiny sparks. “I think that means I screwed it up.”

“No,” Penny said. He took the pendant from her and studied it. “It means you didn’t make a tracking spell strong enough to cross worlds. She’s not on Earth.”

Julia’s friends all began yelling again, but Kady tuned them out. “How are we going to find her?” she asked. For the first time, real worry ran through her. It had always been the joke that Kady had never met a problem she couldn’t blast her way through, but if she couldn’t _find_ Julia… 

“Well…” Penny smiled. “I know I said you were creepy earlier, but - “ He pulled a small, blue stone, speckled with gold, from his pocket. “I’m a little creepy too. And my tracking spells work off-world.”

“Are you serious?” Penny grinned and Kady _almost_ kissed him. She kept herself in check, but she knew he’d seen the expression on her face.

“Okay,” he said, raising his voice to stop the other magicians in the middle of their argument. “I’ve got a way to take us to Julia. You’re all in?” The others nodded. Penny took Kady’s hand, and held out his other arm towards the three. “Grab on somewhere,” he said, letting the tattoos on his hands light up. “Let’s go stage a rescue.”

***

“I hope you’re comfortable, Miss Wicker,” Director Rowe said.

Julia smiled stiffly. There was nothing wrong with the small office the Library’s Traveler had brought her to - it had no windows, but the chair she was sitting in was comfortable enough, they hadn’t restrained her, and they’d even offered her a drink. If she hadn’t been trapped in here with Director Rowe, she’d have been more annoyed than worried. Julia had never liked the Library, not since the days when Victoria and Josh had gone to them for help against the Beast, and instead of giving it, the Library had tried to arrest them for accessing a banned world. The Librarians cared more about controlling magic than defending people like the Fillorians, but that just made them terrible. It had never made them frightening to Julia. Even the thought that they’d sent two of their Agents to interfere in her life didn’t do that.

But Everett Rowe? He freaked her out. She recognized him from the park the other day, but seeing him from a distance was very different than being in his presence. He was calm, polite, reasonable, but the whole time he’d had her in here, he’d watched her with cold eyes. Like she was a puzzle piece instead of a person. 

Her only regret about her years at Brakebills was that she’d never gotten to visit the Library, so it figured when she finally made it, she’d be a prisoner. It was Fillory all over again, youthful dreams turning out to be a lot less pleasant in reality.

Of course, Rowe said she wasn’t a prisoner. She was a “guest.”

“I’m fine,” she said. “But I’m guessing if I said I needed to go to the bathroom, you wouldn’t let me walk out that door?”

The grey-haired man smiled. “I could have someone escort you. It’s such a confusing place, the Stacks. You might get lost.”

“I wouldn’t mind. A place like this, all that knowledge, all that magic… I’d be happy to stay here for a while.”

That seemed to please him; something more human went across his face, just making the contrast with his earlier, creepier expression sharper. “I wish you could,” he said, and Julia actually believed him. “I remember when I was younger, all the knowledge of this place meant so much to me.” He glanced around the office wistfully. “That satisfaction doesn’t last, but it’s nice while it’s there. The sense that your life has some purpose, in learning. That magic does…”

Julia’s eyes darted around while he rambled, looking for a way out. There were a few heavy objects, but it wasn’t like she was going to get away with smashing him over the head, and she could still cast, but he was a master magician. She wasn’t going to be able to take him out on her own. Even if she did, he’d locked the door and she doubted it was with a standard locking spell.

“However,” he said. “I doubt you’ll really want to remain here, considering my relationship with your old acquaintance, Reynard.”

She was expecting it this time, so she managed not to react, but that familiar shiver still ran through her. “Is he a friend of yours?” she asked, pleased that her voice came out flat.

“A friend? No. An ally? It’s perhaps the best term, for now.”

She made a derisive sound. “No, it isn’t. Trust me, Reynard doesn’t make alliances.”

“Says the woman who trapped him in a Word as Bond.” He reached out to pat a book that was lying on his desk, smiling at her surprised expression. “Yes, I know all about you, Julia. I do have access to the entire story of your life. The woman who released Reynard back into the world after others died to lock him out. The magician who cast the spell to banish him was a hedge, but she was working with Library magic, and so Reynard was banished from all worlds that connected through the Neitherlands. Fillory, though, was isolated and cut off. A weak point in the spell. All it took was a few words from a true believer like yourself and he could walk right in.” He shook his head, mockingly sad. “How many of your people did he kill that first night, Queen Julia the _Merciful_?”

“All of them,” Julia said, jaw clenched.

“Well, except the girl, the old god’s servant, who you’ve been keeping around as your secretary. Oh, don’t look at me like that.” For the first time, he seemed annoyed. “I’m not threatening her, or your friends back in New York, the other failed kings and queen. No one in your life is any danger from me, Julia, not even you. I simply want information. Well.” He paused. “There are the two of my Agents who you managed to distract from their jobs, but then, Reynard has his own interest in them. I’m afraid I do have to throw him a few scraps, to keep our plan on track. Ms. Orloff-Diaz is one, and eventually Mr. Adiyodi will be as well.”

_Kady._ _And Penny._ As if in reaction to his words, the bracelet on her wrist, the one that held the stone Penny had given her, pulsed hot enough to make her skin tingle. That had been happening on and off for the last twenty minutes. Julia half-hoped that it meant something, and half-feared that it did. She refused to think that Penny and Kady, no matter what games they’d been playing with her, were on Rowe’s side, and if they weren’t, she didn’t want them anywhere near him. The man hadn’t done anything to her, but he seemed seriously unstable.

In fact, his particular brand of off-balance felt familiar. “What is he doing for you?” she asked. “Reynard. What could he offer to a man who has the full knowledge of the Library behind him?”

Rowe smiled, a little strained. “What every magician wants. Power.”

Julia shook her head. “It’s a lie. Whatever he’s giving you,” she made a face, ”and however you’re getting it, he’ll never let you get more powerful than he is.”

Rowe snorted; it startled her, the first break in his genteel facade. “Reynard is a beast,” he said. “A monster. He cares about petty vengeance and protecting himself. Did you know he’s hunting a goddess?”

“Yeah, I got to hear all about his mommy issues back in Fillory.” It was how she’d justified letting him go all those years ago, thinking that if he was focused on Persephone, maybe he’d leave humans alone. A goddess could look out for herself.

“Thanks to me, he’s had the resources of the Library to help him track her, and to find the weapons he’ll need to take her and any god who comes to her aid. And in exchange, I have access to some power. It’s enough.” 

She didn’t believe his faint smile or the look in his eyes. Everett, she thought, was the kind of magician for whom no amount of power would ever be enough. 

“So what do you need me for?” she asked.

“Gods have books in the Library too, did you know that? Reynard has several volumes. But they are difficult to read. Even with all the years I’ve spent in the Library, I can’t truly understand the gods. But those who have met them tend to have insights. I simply want to pool our knowledge.” Again there was that polite little smile, so reasonable, like she was the crazy one for not trusting him. “You were a scholar once, Julia, before you sold your talents to Irene. I would have thought you’d appreciate the chance to contribute to the Library.”

The door opened and Gavin stuck his head in. “There’s a disturbance, Director,” he said. “I didn’t want to alert anyone down here, but - “ His eyes darted to Julia.

Rowe sighed. “This is the problem with having well-trained Agents.” He stood up. “I’ll be back.” He and Gavin stepped out of the room, locking the door behind them.

As soon as they were gone, Julia jumped to her feet and began to search the room. Unfortunately, it was an ordinary office; no magical items, no weapons. 

From the hallway, she heard voices. Creeping up to the door, she pressed her ear to it and heard them coming closer, arguing in a low whisper. They sounded familiar, and when they got close, she distinctly heard Eliot say, “who would want to wear grey every day?”

Julia banged on the door. “Eliot!” she called, and the voices came closer, now accompanied by running footsteps. 

“Jules?” That was Quentin. “Get back from the door, okay?”

Julia hurried to the other end of the room, ducking down as the door to the office was blasted away. When the dust cleared, she opened her eyes and stared, open-mouthed, as Kady stalked into the room with Eliot and Quentin behind her. 

“What?” the other woman said, grinning when she saw Julia staring. “I’m not great at locking spells but knocking a door down is easy.”

“It’s impressive,” Julia said, laughing a little. “I wouldn’t have thought it would work.” She started to walk towards Kady, but Quentin got between them, pulling her into a hug.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“I’m fine.” Julia pulled back and gave him a reassuring smile. “But really confused. How are you guys here?” She glanced again at Kady. “Together?”

“We did a team-up.” Quentin smiled, lowering his voice. “I know you have doubts, but I think I like her.” He scowled, hand rising to a bruise on his face that made her frown. “Not so sure about the other one.”

“Penny’s here?”

“He waited outside,” Kady said. “The Library is warded against Traveling, which takes away his biggest advantage to our partnership, so he and Margo are watching for Everett’s people. We don’t think all the Librarians know what he’s up to, but Gavin and Cyrus definitely do, and probably a few others.” 

“What do you bring to the partnership?” Eliot asked. “Besides blowing shit up?”

“Hey, that’s not nothing, but I have other skills.” Her eyes dimmed as she saw Julia’s reaction. “Jules - “

“We have a lot to talk about,” Julia interrupted. “But not now. I’m guessing Everett heard that explosion.”

Kady winced. “That’s the disadvantage of my methods. We need to get out of here.”

Julia had forgotten how easy it was to put aside your personal feelings during a crisis. She thought maybe she’d missed that.

They rushed for the door and out into the maze of bookshelves. Julia was lost almost immediately, but Kady knew where they were going and took the lead. No one interrupted them as they ran, though they did pass a few confused looking Librarians. As they neared the hallway Julia did recognize, the one that led out to the surface, they heard footsteps behind them.

Kady stopped, letting the others get behind her. “Get out of here,” she said. “I can hold them off.”

“Kady, what - “ Julia tried to stay with her, but Quentin and Eliot grabbed her arms and pulled her towards the chute.

Kady turned back and smirked. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ve got this. Go make sure Penny hasn’t done something stupid, okay?”

She turned around and fired off a battle magic spell as Julia and her friends ran for the exit.

***

“This is bullshit,” Penny said. He and Margo were crouched on the stairs leading up from the fountain closest to the entrance to the Stacks. “We should have gone in there with them.”

“And then there would have been no one to watch their exit, and make sure they don’t get trapped down there,” Margo said. “Relax. Your girlfriend looks like she can take care of herself.”

Penny started to protest the _girlfriend_ part, then thought _fuck, no._ If Kady wanted to object, she could do that when she came back. “Are you saying you aren’t worried about your friends?”

“El and Q can handle themselves, mostly. If they avoid the instinct to throw themselves in front of a spell for someone else.” She glanced at him. “What about you? Is your girlfriend the stupidly heroic type?”

“Kady doesn’t need an excuse to jump into a fight.” Penny scowled down at the Library. The tracking spell on Julia’s bracelet said she was in there, and Kady had taken his stone with her so it could lead her to Julia’s location. The whole point was to sneak in, find Julia, get her out, then regroup to figure out what she was doing at the Library in the first place. But Penny knew Kady, and he guessed he knew Julia now too. He really doubted either of them would manage to avoid a fight, never mind both.

“What about you?”

He frowned at Margo. “What about me?” 

“Which one of them are you worried about? Julia, or your partner?”

“I’m worried about everyone who’s caught up in this mess.” Everett had come out of the Stacks a few minutes ago with Gavin, and as soon as they were free of the wards they’d Traveled away. Penny had no idea what that was about, but he doubted it was good. He should have been in there, and never mind that he couldn’t Travel. “Kady’s been my partner for seven years,” he admitted. “I don’t like her being in danger when I’m not with her.”

“Partner, or _partner_?” He gave her an incredulous look and she shrugged. “What? There’s nothing else to talk about up here and I’m bored.”

He sighed. “It’s complicated.”

“And Julia? Is that complicated too?”

“Very. Also not your business.”

“Interesting. And my friends are my business.” Margo turned her attention back to the Library entrance. For all her annoying interest in his personal life, he thought she hadn’t really stopped watching the whole time. She - and her friends, too - had been surprisingly calm about staging a rescue mission at the Library for classical magicians with cushy jobs. Not for the first time, he wondered what the hell they’d done in Fillory that this seemed normal to them. 

“Julia thinks you were spying on her,” Margo said casually after a moment. “You and Kady. She thinks the Library sent you to get information from. They’ve been trying to get us to talk about Fillory for years.” Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him. “Did they?”

“No,” he said. She raised an eyebrow and he glared. “ _No_. I was looking into her, but not for the Library. Because they were interested and I wanted to make sure they didn’t mess with her.”

“Aw, that’s sweet.” Margo’s smile was dangerous. “Quentin thinks she should forgive you, because you’re so good for her.” Her expression made it clear what she thought of that logic.

“She doesn’t owe us that.” Penny held her eyes. “Neither of us ever wanted to hurt Julia.”

“Intentions don’t mean much,” Margo said, then waved him off. “Oh, whatever. Julia’s never had great taste, but you two don’t seem that bad. She could do a lot worse. So why don’t we say, hmm, forty-eight hours?”

“Until what?” he asked warily.

“For the two of you to explain, and grovel, and beg for forgiveness. After that, if she still doesn’t want you around, you get away and you never have anything to do with her again, understand? Or I eviscerate you.” She smiled. 

“You’re the scary one in the group, huh?” he asked, which pleased her. “I don’t scare easily.” He turned back to the chute. “But don’t worry. I wouldn’t - “ He paused. “What’s that?”

Margo leaned forward, eyes narrowing, as people began to emerge from the group. “Eliot,” she said, with a sigh of relief that made it clear she hadn’t been as confident in her friends as she’d pretended. “And there’s Quentin, and I think I see Julia - ”

“Fuck, Gavin!” The other Traveler appeared right behind Eliot, lashing out with a spell. Three more Librarians were with him, but Penny didn’t get a chance to see who they were. Eliot went down, Margo screamed as she started firing off battle magic, and Penny Traveled down into the middle of the group, landing in front of Julia, who had put up her shield spell. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“Sure, except that I’m going to kill these assholes,” she said, eyes flashing as she glared at Gavin, who was teasing a furious Quentin, Traveling around him in circles while Quentin tried to hit him with magic. Eliot stumbled to his feet beside his husband, looking dazed but okay. “Kady didn’t come out with us - “

“I’m fine.” Kady appeared out of the chute, her hair falling down from her braid and a scratch under one eye, but otherwise uninjured. “And that little shit Cyrus is going to have one hell of headache tomorrow.” She caught Penny’s eye. “Worried about me?” 

“Nah, you can handle yourself,” he said. 

Kady started to speak, and then her eyes widened. “Shit, Penny - “ she yelled, and jumped forward, knocking him into Julia. The three of them hit the ground with a crash, some much larger _boom_ going off behind them, followed by a series of smaller explosions that sent a shower of gravel down all over them.

When they died down, there was total silence, echoing across the fountains. Penny’s ears rang as he pushed himself up, checking that Julia was fine, before looking for the rest of the group. His eyes fell on Kady, lying a few feet away, and for a second he thought his heart had stopped; then she coughed and struggled to sit up.

He crossed the distance between them, Traveling or running, he wasn’t sure, and pulled her up to a sitting position. She looked a little out of it, but smiled. “Hey, Penny.”

“What was that? What did you do?” Kady grabbed his chin, holding him in place. She stared at him for a long moment, then smiled again, a strange little look, and leaned in to kiss him. Penny let her, not objecting when she deepened the kiss until he remembered that there were people watching them, and possibly a fight still going on. “Uh, Kady,” he said, pulling back, “normally I would be celebrating, but - “

“No, you’re right. I just needed to make sure my position was clear.” As if that explained anything, she shifted away from him. “What actually happened?”

“You saved his life.” Julia was standing over them, watching their display with a carefully neutral expression. “Both of ours, I guess. Your boss showed up,” she nodded somewhere over Penny’s shoulder, “and she knocked us out of the way of the biggest force blast I’ve ever seen. Guess that’s a side effect of having god power.”

“What?” Penny shook his head, having understood only about half of what she’d said. “Julia - “ He saw a look of guilt flash across Kady’s face as Julia continued to watch them, holding each other on the ground, with that blank expression.

“And then they got here,” Julia went on, and Penny finally accepted that their personal issues would have to wait and turned around to see what had happened with the fight.

It had ended. Julia’s friends were huddled together a few feet away, and the rest of the space in front of the Library entrance was filled with grey-suited Librarians. A few were on their knees, looking disgruntled about it, but there were a lot more familiar faces surrounding them. Penny saw Pete putting a pair of spelled handcuffs on Gavin while he lay on the ground with Marina standing over him. At the center of the group, Everett had been separated from his allies and faced off with Alice, who seemed to be holding…

“Why the hell does she have a gun?” Penny whispered. Kady just shook her head, mouthing _no idea._

Everett seemed to have the same thought. “I’m a master magician with the power of a god inside me,” he sneered, his voice carrying over the crowd. His usual veneer of professionalism had cracked. “What do you think that’s going to do?”

“Quite a lot.” Zelda made her way through the circle of Librarians, as prim as ever and incredibly out of place in the middle of a fight. Phyllis and a few of the other Senior Librarians were behind her. “This is a coup, Everett. Ms. Quinn has found evidence that you haven’t had the Library’s interests at heart for some time.”

“She didn’t do it by herself!” Marina yelled, then kicked Gavin when he snarked something.

Zelda ignored that. “We would like to resolve this peacefully,” she went on. “But you should remember that I am also a master magician. And Alice’s gun is a god-killing weapon.” She smiled. “So. How should this go?”

Everett grumbled some more, but they got him in handcuffs a few minutes later.

Alice walked over as Penny helped Kady to her feet. “Thanks for the warning,” she said to Kady. “Finding out about the connection between Irene and Everett, and Reynard, was enough to get Zelda to take me seriously.”

“No problem, but I still don’t get how Reynard fits,” Kady said.

“I do.” Julia said. “But Irene is involved? My _boss_ Irene?”

Alice blinked at her. “Oh, you’re Julia, aren’t you? I didn’t recognize you in person.” Julia’s eyebrows shot up at that and Penny winced.

“Ah, Jules, this is Alice Quinn,” he said. “My - 

“Alice?” Margo’s voice cut him off. She walked up to them, trailed by Eliot and Quentin.

“Margo.” Alice looked even more startled.

“Bambi,” Eliot said. “Would you like to explain what your girlfriend is doing here?”


	22. Chapter 22

“Of course I knew she worked for the Library,” Margo said. “That’s how we met, writing the contract for the portal.” She scowled in the direction of the Stacks. “Though apparently we missed a few things during the negotiations. I always thought that director was a toad, but I can’t believe I missed that he was a megalomaniac.”

“You must have been distracted,” Eliot said, grinning. 

Margo glared at him, then smiled. “Maybe,” she admitted. “I have to say, I was not expecting her with that gun, but I didn’t hate it.”

“More than I really needed to know about your type,” Quentin said.

“Like you didn’t already.”

Julia drifted away from her friends, avoiding the eyes of the handful of Librarians who were watching them. Zelda and her people had taken Everett away once they got the spelled handcuffs on him, and she’d wanted Julia and her friends to come along, but all of them were leery about entering the Library. The fountains off the Neitherlands had temporarily been locked down while Zelda’s allies rounded up the last of Everett’s, so Julia had come up with a compromise: the old greenhouse they’d discovered on their first trip to through the Neitherlands years ago, a relic of the days when the Library was more isolated from the other worlds. It was the closest thing they could get to neutral ground without being able to move off-world.

Alice and Penny had vouched for them, but it was Kady who’d said, “She was just kidnapped an hour ago. It’s not a stretch that she isn’t going to trust us.” And while Zelda had hesitated up until then, apparently Kady had some kind of power over her, so Julia and her friends had been allowed to wait here until someone told them what would happen next.

Julia glanced at the door as she passed it. Alice had returned a few minutes earlier and was huddled in conversation with some of the other Librarians, including Kady. Penny was with them, but he caught Julia’s eye when she passed, and after a moment’s hesitation, followed her. Julia led him into the back room of the greenhouse, a small space with a kitchen and cots on the floors. She sat at a little table, and Penny sat across from her, looking like he was unsure of his welcome.

It almost made her laugh. An hour ago he’d jumped into a fight to protect her, but now he was acting like she was the scary one. She tried to remember how angry she’d been, learning about Penny and Kady’s connections to the Library, but that all felt very far away.

“I didn’t even know this place was here,” he said, breaking the strained silence.

“We found it by accident.” Julia looked around the dusty space. “Some of my friends stayed in this place for a while, after things got bad in Fillory. If you want to look around, Josh probably still has some psychedelic vegetables growing here.”

Penny’s face went through several expressions. “I have no idea what to say about that,” he said finally. Julia laughed, and he smiled a little at her. “Except I’d really like to hear all your stories someday.” His smile faded. “You know, if you want to and you aren’t planning to just tell me to fuck off.”

“I don’t want to do that.” Her feelings for Penny and Kady might have been a messy tangle, but she knew that much.

He must have been able to tell that she wasn’t ready to talk about them, because he just nodded. “Are you okay?” he asked instead. “With everything that happened?”

“On the scale of things I’ve seen, being kidnapped by your boss is pretty low.”

“I believe that. But I can’t help noticing that you’re hiding back here instead of staying with your friends.” She looked up and he was watching her with dark eyes that saw everything about her, exactly like he had when she thought he was a carefree Traveler with a mysterious past. It was disorienting, because even more than Kady he looked different now, with his suit and his edge of danger whenever the other Librarians even looked at her, and yet the way he acted towards her, that was the same. It made her want to trust him as though nothing had changed.

“I was thinking about Reynard,” she said finally. 

He nodded. “Want to talk about it? I can be a good listener.”

She fought the urge to smile. “Somehow I think you’re the kind of good listener who has no hesitation also sharing his opinions, but okay.” She looked down at her hands, absently scratching her nails against the scarred surface of the table. “I was a queen,” she said. “One of the last in Fillory before everything changed there.”

“Before Martin Chatwin was defeated.”

She nodded. “He was really just an ordinary magician, but he’d figured out how to make himself much more powerful, and we couldn’t figure out how to stop him. Until I came up with the idea of bringing in someone even stronger.” She glanced up briefly. “I decided to summon a god.”

Penny gave a low whistle. “That’s ballsy. And impressive.”

“And reckless, and arrogant,” Julia said, not really disagreeing. Enough time had passed for her to have a pretty clear image of the young magician she’d been, good and bad. “I did the ritual and Reynard was the god I got. Demigod, technically, but that doesn’t matter as much as you’d think.”

Penny’s eyes widened. “More than a regular magician. Jesus, Alice, way to undersell it,” he muttered, then shook his head. “Sorry, keep going.”

Julia shrugged. “Reynard was - well, I’m sure you know. He killed a whole lot of people before he left Fillory, including Martin. But I wasn’t totally naive. As soon as I summoned him, I made a Word as Bond.” She stretched out her hand, palm up, and nodded permission for him to make a viewing window with his fingers and study the brand there. “He couldn’t hurt me, or my friends. I just didn’t get specific enough and that cost a lot of people. By the time he left Fillory, I really questioned whether it had been worth it. I questioned a lot of things.”

“Like whether you even wanted magic anymore.” She nodded. “Well, I obviously wasn’t there. But all those Fillorians at the park the other day, they seemed to think getting their home back was a pretty big deal.”

“It was nice to see that,” she admitted. “But Reynard has been out there this whole time, and I have no idea what he’s been doing, except that I’d guess it isn’t good. If I looked in some of your Library’s books, I think I’d find out I was right?” Penny was sensitive enough not to respond to that, but she could hear the answer in his silence. She traced the brand with her fingers. “It’s been like this weight on me all this time, that I could never shift away. Knowing that anything he did would be on me.”

Most people would have said it wasn’t her fault, true or not; Penny, after a moment, just reached out and carefully took her hand, covering the brand. “That sounds like a lot to carry.”

“Yeah.” She let her fingers curl around his, squeezing. “I felt paralyzed by it. And it spread to every other part of my life, so I wasn’t doing magic, I wasn’t present in my relationship with James, I just - I was stuck.” She looked up at him. “And then I met you. And Kady.”

“Julia - “

“Whatever else you and Kady were doing, you guys shook me out of my rut. And with everything else that’s happened today, and the fact that I actually have information about him for the first time in years, I’ve been thinking. Maybe it’s time to finally do something about Reynard too.”

“Like kill the bastard?” Julia jumped a little, looking over to see Kady leaning against the door to the room with her arms folded. “I had a feeling you’d be thinking of that. I know I was.”

“Really?” Penny gave her a bemused look. “You had a _feeling_ we should try to fit in killing a god?”

Kady shrugged, pushing off the wall and coming to join them at the table. “Get it over with, you know?”

Julia wanted to laugh. Penny was the one who’d looked at her from the beginning like he wanted to understand everything about her, but Kady just _got_ her. “Think it would work?” she asked. “I mean, I did summon him. Compared to that, how hard can it be?”

Kady grinned. “Hey, I would have done it weeks ago if someone had bothered to tell me he was a god.”

“I bet you would have,” Julia said, smiling back at her.

“You should come out and talk to Alice,” Kady said. “She has some thoughts.”

“Oh, Alice too? Why is every woman I know like this?” They both looked at Penny, and after a moment he sighed. “Alright, fine. Let’s go make plans to kill a god.”

***

Alice had a lot of useful information from Zelda’s interrogation of Everett. Now that he’d given up the persona of the mild-mannered Librarian, it turned out he really liked the sound of his own voice. “He found Reynard on his own,” Alice explained. “I guess of all the active gods who have books in the Library, he thought Reynard would be the easiest to manipulate. His motivation is, well - “

“Petty and pathetic?” Julia asked dryly. 

“Exactly. Everett made a deal to feed him information from the Library, and to make sure that the Library never had enough intel to stop him. But Reynard was just the start of the plan. He lent Everett power, but he also gave him information, about the other gods, about ways to kill them. I think Everett was planning to go on a god-killing spree, eventually work his way up to something really dangerous.” She frowned. “He says there are things out there so old even the gods fear them.”

Eliot shivered. “And he _wanted_ to go after something like that?”

“So if Everett has been looking for ways to kill gods - ” Kady started.

Alice smiled. “He did more than that. He has a whole stash of god-killing weapons. A few will burn your hand off if you try to touch them without god-power of your own, but most are pretty basic.” She nodded to the corner of the room, where Pete had laid out a few options. “Take your pick.”

The weapons came in a wide variety of blades and other options. Kady recognized a few from raids she and Penny had been on. Quentin immediately latched onto a broadsword. “Oh, Jules, you should use that one,” he said. He picked up the sword and swung it, making Alice jump back with a yelp. “Oh, I’m sorry!”

“Careful with that thing, Q.” Eliot took the sword and made a few experimental swings. “Although this is pretty sexy - “

“It is,” Quentin said, emphatically, watching him.

“Yeah, not really my style,” Julia said, turning back to the stash. “What do you think, Kady?”

She knelt down by the weapons, looking up at Kady. There had been a different energy to Julia since she’d decided to deal with Reynard, like she’d set all her feelings and doubts aside, and if she was worried about her personal relationships, it didn’t show. Right now nothing but interest in Kady’s answer showed in her eyes.

“Go simple. I like a gun.” Kady picked up the weapon Alice had been holding earlier, and frowned at it. “Wait, isn’t this - ?”

“John Gaines’ gun.” Marina joined the group with her usual smirk in place. She was talking to Kady, but her eyes kept shifting to Julia with clear interest. “When Quinn and I grabbed Everett’s weapons stash, we found the analysis on it. Turns out Gaines knew the spell to create a god-killing weapon. That’s what he did before he died. He was a demigod too and he put his own power into that weapon.”

Kady picked the gun up, remembering what it had felt like when she came to herself with Gaines dead, the cold burn of the weapon in her hand. “Huh,” she said. “He gave us a weapon to take out his dad. Guess we shouldn’t waste that.” She looked up to see Marina watching her. “What?”

Marina shrugged. “A girl with a gun is hot,” she said.

Kady narrowed her eyes, but Julia laughed. “She’s not wrong,” she said, a little flushed, when Kady turned her attention to her. “And actually, I was thinking…”

Half an hour later, Kady, Julia and Penny walked out onto the plaza surrounding one of the locked fountains. Julia’s friends, over their protests, had been left behind, and Alice had agreed to keep the Librarians back as well. Kady was pretty sure the fountain was the one where she and Penny had spent their night together almost ten years ago, but this didn’t seem like the time to mention it. Julia was totally focused on her task, ignoring all the unspoken issues between the three of them, but Kady couldn’t help noticing that it was the two of them she’d worked into her plan, not any of the others. Maybe it was stupid, but that made her feel hopeful.

Which was why, when Julia started to go over the plan for the fifth time, Kady cut her off. “Just one thing,” she said, and bent down, taking Julia’s face in her hands and giving her a very long and enthusiastic kiss. When she pulled back, Julia looked dazed. 

“What?” she asked.

Kady smiled. “Just making sure you get where I’m coming from,” she said, like she had to Penny earlier.

They both looked at her like she was speaking gibberish, then at each other. “Yeah, I have no idea,” Penny said, but he was clearly amused.

Kady grinned at them both. “I’ll explain later.”

***

Julia studied the brand on her palm. It had been a part of her for years, but she couldn’t remember the last time she’d let herself actually see the magical scar. It was simple, even crude; wild to think that it had held such power over her life for the last six years. A Word as Bond wasn’t supposed to hurt, but Julia had never stopped feeling hers, every time she did magic.

She flipped open the little knife Kady had given her and cut a thin line through the scar, releasing the spell. The magic flooded out of her, and even knowing what was about to happen, so did some tension she’d barely been aware of carrying.

She lowered her hands and looked around the fountain plaza. It would have been late back on Earth, but in the Neitherlands it was still mid-morning, though since the planet was uninhabited by anything except Librarians, it was eerily quiet, no birds or insects. Julia knew she was being watched, but they were far away, at her insistence, and so the only sound was her own breathing, steady and controlled.

And then he was there.

She’d known he would feel the bond breaking, and that would be enough for him to come find her. Hiding herself from him had been part of the deal. It was still a shock to see his yellow eyes focus on her when he landed on top of the fountain, his face twisting into a parody of a smile.

“Julia. It’s been a long time.” He stepped down from the fountain. “Is this supposed to be a trap?”

Julia held out her arms. “I have no way to trap you,” she said.

“Hmm. You’ve always been smart. I’m sure you know there’s nothing you could do before I could get over there and snap your neck.” He looked around them slowly, and Julia felt a vicious pleasure in how cautious he was being. Maybe he feared her too. “And you’ve chosen this location. I suppose that means my alliance with Everett has come to its end.”

“Everett doesn’t have much to offer you anymore,” she said. “I think he’s unemployed.”

“Too bad. He was useful.” He took a few steps closer to her. “As I once hoped you would be, Julia.”

“That was never going to happen.” Julia walked slowly towards him, surprised at how confident she felt. No matter what it looked like to him, she wasn’t alone. “Do you want to know why I brought you here?”

He shrugged, but she could see that he was curious. “I assume you broke the Word as Bond because you intend me some kind of harm. The protection it gave you cut both ways.”

She nodded. “I wanted to be able to look you in the eye,” she said. She made herself meet those yellow eyes and it was easier than she’d thought. They didn’t reflect the blood he’d spilled back in Fillory, or the years of regret she’d spent since. They were just eyes. “I wanted to be watching when she did this.”

He didn’t even have time to look confused. There was a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye, Penny Traveling in, and by the time he spun around, Kady already had the gun raised. “John says bye, asshole,” she said, and fired.

He might have been a petty creature, but he was still a god, and he didn’t die instantly. Julia saw the swirl of god-power rising up from where Kady had struck him between the eyes, but he still had enough strength to turn towards her, rage twisting his features. He growled and lunged, like he would take her out with him, but Julia didn’t flinch, and before he got within a foot of her, Penny grabbed her with one hand, Kady with the other, and they were gone.

***

“So what happens to Everett?” Penny asked.

“I don’t think Zelda’s thought that far, but I wouldn’t imagine there’s a lot of freedom in his future,” Alice said. “We’ll need to make sure all the weapons he was collecting are accounted for, and that he didn’t have any more side-deals. We’ll need to find out about Irene McAllister’s involvement too.” Her eyes drifted to where Julia’s friends were gathered over by the door to the greenhouse, resting on Margo with a worried expression.

“I’m sure she didn’t know about it,” Penny said. “Margo’s a little scary, but she seems very… straight-forward. I really doubt she was part of her boss’s conspiracy.”

“Oh, no, I’m not worried about that,” Alice said. “I was just thinking, whatever Irene’s involvement, it’s going to have repercussions for the McAllister Corporation. And I’m going to be here, sorting out the new future for the Library.” She shrugged, looking a little sad. “It sucks that we’ll both be so caught up in other things right when our relationship is…”

“You can make it work,” he said. “If it’s worth it to you. Just, you know, don’t shut her out.”

She didn’t look like she totally believed him, but she put on a smile, clearly not wanting to talk about it, and Penny allowed that. He wasn’t that person for Alice anymore, and he suspected Margo was better suited for the job. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you about what Marina and I were working on,” she said, very clearly changing the subject. 

“Why didn’t you?”

“Because you wanted to leave.” She smiled and shrugged. “And I do know you, Penny. You may hate this place and want to get away from it, but if I’d told you what Everett was doing, you would have thought you had to help. You’re not the kind of guy who walks away from a… a friend, who you think needs you.”

She’d been looking out for him, in her Alice sort of way, and after everything, that felt nice. “I guess I got off lucky, then,” he said. “‘Cause no offense, but I still don’t want anything to do with the Library once my contract is up. Not even this new Library you and Zelda are going to build.”

“I’m glad. Charlie deserves one parent not caught up in this madness. Though it’s not like I’m going to be the one setting the policies or anything, more like doing the grunt work - “

“Not if Zelda has any sense, and I think she does. If she’s smart, she’ll value you.”

“Thanks, Penny.” She glanced over his shoulder, clearing her throat, looking relieved to have an excuse to escape further compliments. Remembering how much he’d enjoyed flustering her back when they first met, Penny decided their friendship would probably survive the breakup after all. “Speaking of people who might be able to help the Library…”

Kady was walking towards them with Marina, looking disgruntled, though Penny didn’t know if that was because of Marina or because she’d been returning Gaines’ gun to the Library’s armory. Kady’s attachment to that thing was almost as weird as the flustered look in Julia’s eyes whenever she saw her with it. 

“You should talk to her,” Penny told Alice. “I have a few other things to clear up.” 

Julia wasn’t with her friends, but when he asked, Quentin pointed him towards one of the more distant fountains and said she had gone for a walk. Julia’s best friend looked suspicious as he studied Penny. “She likes you a lot, but just so you know, that doesn’t mean the rest of us are going to trust you right away,” he said.

Penny rolled his eyes. “I already got the lecture from Margo,” he said. “She gave us forty-eight hours.”

“Oh. Good.” Quentin looked relieved. He hesitated. “Make her happy, okay? She deserves that.”

“If I don’t, it can be your turn to break my nose.”

“Really?”

“No.”

He found Julia sitting on the edge of the Earth fountain, trailing her fingers through the water. “Isn’t it crazy that I’m sticking my hand into another world?” she asked when he sat down beside her. “You would think working on portals for five years, and being queen of another world before that, I’d get used to it, but it never stops being really cool.”

“It doesn’t,” he agreed. “Or at least, I hope it doesn’t.” She gave him a quizzical look. “I’ve spent the last ten years under a contract with the Library. Most of the Traveling I’ve ever done has been for them. But it’s over in a few months and I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s like to go where I want to.”

“There are a lot of amazing places out there.” Julia looked down again at her fingers in the water. “So, all that stuff you said, about you and my younger, more adventurous self getting along, that was all true?”

“Everything was true.” She raised an eyebrow. “Except for the part where I work for magic big brother and they were spying on you. But the rest, my background, Charlie, Beatriz and Frankie, that cave I took you to - all of that was real Julia. Everything between us. I swear.”

He’d told himself he wouldn’t blame her if she didn’t believe him, but it still felt like he was stepping off the edge of a cliff. Julia studied him for a long moment, then said, “And your best friend ‘Hannah’?”

He winced. “That’s her mom’s name.”

“What is Kady to you?”

Of course, as soon as he promised to be honest, she’d ask an impossible question. “She’s my friend, my partner. Pretty much the only person I’ve been able to trust or rely on for years. She’s… I love her.” It felt like a bigger step, saying that part to Julia, than it had to Kady the other night. Telling Kady he loved her was just obvious, like acknowledging that the sky was blue after pointlessly denying it for years. Telling Julia felt like asking for something he was pretty sure he didn’t deserve. “But we’ve never been more than friends, not until very recently. More recently than either of us have been with you.”

“The other night when you said you had to sort something out…”

“Yeah.”

He watched her take that in, nodding slowly. “So I’m, what, your relationship catalyst?”

“God, no.” He grabbed her hands. “I mean, yes, without you we would never have gotten our heads out of our asses and figured this out, but you’re a lot more than that. Kady and me - or, me, at least I’m not sure where her mind is at right now - I don’t want either of you instead of the other. I want both of you, in whatever way you want.”

Now she smiled, the funny, smart, sarcastic Julia he knew flooding back into her expression. He reminded himself that introspective Julia, and insecure Julia, and even casually-planning-a-deicide Julia were all also _her_ , just parts he hadn’t gotten to know as well yet. “I’d say that’s asking for a lot,” she said, “except the other night I was asking my friends if it was selfish not to want to give up you or Kady, and they said it wasn’t. So if _I’m_ not selfish - “

“I can’t fault that.” He grinned. “You really want this? Cause I’m the easy one. You have to deal with Kady, too.”

The smile on her face faded. “You guys both lied to me. A lot.”

He closed his eyes. “I know.”

“And there was a lot I didn’t tell you either.” She shook her head. “I’m not saying it was the same, not at all. You two are the ones who need to grovel. I just mean that I’m not used to being open, or honest, or, ugh, talking about my feelings.” She made a face. “The only people who I’ve been able to have a relationship with for the last five years were the people who already knew everything about me.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever had an honest relationship,” he said. “I thought Kady and I did, but it turns out there were some major, uh, omissions there? And you want to talk about being bad with feelings? Kady is the queen of that shit.” He shrugged. “We’ll figure it out.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “It’s really that easy?”

“Probably not.”

“No.” She studied him for a long moment, then leaned in and kissed him, just a soft little brush of her lips. “But maybe worth it.”

The crunch of boots on gravel warned them that they weren’t alone, and a few seconds later Kady jogged down the steps to the fountain. “What’s worth it?” she asked. “You guys should know, there’s a really horrible echo around these fountains. No privacy.”

“We’re worth it,” Julia said. She was still holding his hands as she smiled up at Kady. “We were just coming to tell you we’ve decided we’re all dating now.”

“Oh, wow.” Kady shook her head. “And here I was, coming over here to tell you both to get your shit together so we could make this relationship work.”

Julia’s mouth dropped open. Penny gave Kady an incredulous look. “ _Our_ shit? We’re not the ones who - Kady, you were trying to back out this _morning_ \- “

“Yeah, and?” Kady shrugged, but her eyes were dancing and he could tell she wanted to laugh. “That was like twelve hours ago. A lot’s happened. Try to keep up.” She held a hand out to each of them. “Now, if our Traveler can give us a ride, I have an apartment with what people keep pointing out is a very large bed…”

***

Kady rolled over and stretched, marveling that even with three of them there was still room for that on the bed. “That’s one way we know we’re compatible,” she said. 

Julia buried her face in her shoulder, groaning Kady’s name in embarrassment, but Penny just laughed. “Yes, we do,” he said, sounding as satisfied as Kady felt as he reached across Julia to settle a hand on Kady’s hip. 

“You two are horrible,” Julia said.

“But you love us.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Kady wanted to take them back. It didn’t matter that she knew what she felt; saying the words made her feel naked in a way that being tangled up with the two of them in nothing but sheets didn’t, and like taking a risk she had no reason to expect to pay off. She held her breath.

She could feel the tension in the other two for just a minute, before Julia dug her way out of the sheets to kiss her. “We do,” she said, and Kady relaxed. 

“So we should probably talk about the serious stuff,” Penny said a few minutes later. Kady and Julia both made sounds of protest and he laughed. “Clearly I know what my role in this relationship is.”

“You’re going to stay home and make us dinner after a long day at work,” Julia said. “Or at least, make me dinner. I’m not clear on if Kady actually has a job.”

“That doesn't sound terrible.” Penny propped his chin on his hand to look at Kady over Julia’s shoulder. “ _Do_ you have a job?”

“I do,” she said, a little reluctantly. Penny just watched her patiently, Julia curious beside him. “I’m going to stay on,” she said. “It’s not the same arrangement. With Zelda in charge, I’m less worried about protecting my mom. Actually, Zelda seems weirdly sympathetic to Harriet.” There was something there she was pretty sure she wasn’t getting, but it was a puzzle for another time. “Doesn’t mean I like the Library any better than I ever did.”

“Good, because they’re selfish asshats,” Julia said cheerfully.

“They are. But I think Zelda and Alice and the rest are going to try to improve things.” She scrunched up her face, still not sure she believed that was possible. Their intentions were good; it was the results she had doubts about. “And the big difference is, no contracts. So if after a month or a year I can’t keep supporting what they’re doing, I can leave. Beg Harriet to give me a job at FuzzBeat or something.”

“I think my friend Victoria works for Harriet sometimes,” Julia said. “I’ve heard all the shady Travelers do. You should check that out, Penny.”

“No thanks.” Penny’s fingers stroked along Kady’s arm. “You always did good with the Library,” he said. “Even when the jobs we were sent on were crap, you never did anything but try to help people. I’m glad you don’t have to give it up.”

“It wasn’t the worst feeling,” Kady agreed, deciding their newfound honesty didn’t require that she get all emotional about getting to keep her work _and_ him, and Julia too.

Julia looked back and forth between them, clearly aware that she was missing some undercurrent but not upset about it, at least for now. Kady wasn’t naive enough to think that wouldn’t be an issue sometimes. “I hate the Library, but I agree,” Julia said. “You’re like a superhero, Kady. That’s badass.” 

“This isn’t about the gun thing again?” Penny asked, and Julia blushed.

“So what other serious things did you want to discuss?” 

“Oh, you know. When do we get to move in, when do we meet your mom - okay, okay, kidding!” Penny laughed, twisting away from Julia’s fingers under the covers. “No, I was thinking about all those apologies we owe you.”

Kady’s amusement faded. She figured she owed them both apologies, after all the time she’d spent pushing them away, but Julia more.

Julia nodded seriously. “There can’t be any more lies and secrets,” she said.

“Agreed.” Penny met Kady’s eyes and she nodded.

“And there are other things we need to tell each other about. Stuff that’s important to who we are. But when I started this whole thing, someone I trust gave me some good advice.” Julia cleared her throat. “He said that I should get to know the people I date as who I am now, and let them figure out who I was later.” She looked between them. “So maybe for a little while we can just do that?”

“Sounds good to me.” Penny kissed her slowly, and Kady found she couldn’t tear her eyes away. They looked perfect together, like she’d thought they would for weeks now, when…

“Part of the person I am now is someone who doesn’t trust that this will work,” she blurted out.

Julia broke away from the kiss, and they both turned to look at her, making her flush, horrified and embarrassed. Of course she was going to be the one to fuck up even the afterglow. “Kady?” Julia took her hand. “What do you mean?” she asked softly.

“I want this,” Kady said. “So much. I’m just, not good at trusting things to go well.” She shrugged. “I’m just afraid I’ll freak out and screw us up.”

The other two didn’t look at each other, but they both had matching thoughtful expressions. After a moment, Julia said carefully, “I’m intimidated by the two of you. All the history, all the little jokes and memories… I don’t know how I ever compete with that.”

“You don’t have to,” Penny said, kissing her shoulder. 

“I know. I’m just saying, the worry is there. No point pretending it’s not.” She looked up at him, clearly expecting a contribution.

“What?” he asked. “I’m totally confident in us. No issues.”

Kady snorted. “He lies,” she told Julia. But it seemed mean to tell her that Penny didn’t completely trust either of them to stick around

Julia shrugged. “Okay, so we’re all a little messed up and not great at relationships. We can work with that.” She laughed. “Guys, today I literally killed a god who’s been haunting me for five years. I think we can work through some personal insecurities.”

“Uh,” Kady said, “technically I killed the god.”

“Technically, you both would have died if I hadn’t been there to get you in and out.”

“Yes, your one skill is very helpful - “

“My what?” Penny sat up, leaning across Julia to kiss Kady breathless. “I’ll show you skills,” he said.

By the time Julia moved in to kiss her in turn, Penny’s fingers had wound through Kady’s over the other woman’s head. Kady slid her free hand around Julia’s waist, pulling her closer, both her arms tangled with Penny’s around her.

“Are we checking for compatibility again?” Julia asked, giggling, then gave a yelp. “What was that?”

They all glared down at the end of the bed, where Toby had appeared, her stubby little teeth wrapped around one of Julia’s toes. She waved her tail enthusiastically at the attention.

“Relationship rule,” Penny said. “No nosy little dog in the bedroom. I don’t think she likes me.”

“You did step on her the other night,” Kady pointed out.

“But she loves me.” Julia sat up to pick up the dog, curling back up with her on her chest. “Don’t you sweetie?”

Kady met Penny’s eyes over Julia’s head and smiled. _Best sleepover_ she mouthed.

He shook his head. “Later you should get her to watch a musical,” he said.

“I love musicals,” Julia said, and Kady laughed at the horrified look on his face.

“Sorry, you’re outnumbered,” she teased.

“Yeah.” He smiled down at them, the kind of look Kady knew he never showed to anyone else. “I can live with that.”


	23. Epilogue

The illusion charm in Central Park had expanded in the year since Penny had last visited the sight of the Fillory Portal. It was now big enough to cover almost a mile of the park, which was overflowing with Earth magicians and Fillorians of all species by the time they arrived. “I told you we would be late,” Harriet said as he Traveled them in.

“We’re not late,” Penny grumbled. “We have plenty of time. Sorry if I didn’t want to spend half the day standing around waiting in line when we have tickets to the reserved area up front anyway.”

_“Reserved areas,”_ Harriet signed, rolling her eyes. _“You’re no fun.”_

Charlie, who had been eagerly learning ASL, piped up. “Daddy, she said - “

“Thank you, I got it.” He looked around at the crowd of vendors selling Fillorian food and souvenirs, mixed in with dancers, street performers, and what looked like a talking bear circus act. “Alright, where to first?”

“To see Humbledrum!” Charlie said immediately. She grabbed Hannah by the hand. “Do you want to meet my friend? He’s a talking bear, which means he’s like a person, except a bear.”

Hannah smiled at the little girl like she hadn’t heard Charlie explain the talking animals of Fillory a dozen times in the last month alone. “I’d love to,” she said. Kady’s mother adored Charlie, enough that she’d stopped mentioning grandchildren for herself. Which was good, because Penny really didn’t think Kady was interested, though Julia…

“Daddy!”

“Alright, I’m coming.” Penny shook off thoughts about the future and followed his daughter, Harriet and Hannah through the crowd in the direction of the portal and the pavilion set up before it. The people gathered in the park were mostly spectators, with a few Fillorians already packed for their first journey home mixed in, but he also caught sight of Librarians in the mix. Most of them had traded out their grey suits for more natural summer-in-New York styles, but he could recognize them from the way they stood a little apart from the crowd, observing the world but less immersed in it, the Agents among them watchful and careful. He grinned, thinking that he was very glad not to be one of them anymore. They weren’t going to have as much fun.

As they neared the pavilion, Charlie caught sight of her mother and ran ahead. Alice was on the platform with Zelda, part of the official Library delegation, though by the way she was beaming proudly at Margo as her girlfriend and Julia fussed over last-minute preparations, he thought her reasons for signing up for this job were more personal than professional. 

Irene McAllister had been arrested by the Library, after Marina figured out how to expose the hidden language in her contract with Everett, which turned out to give Irene unlimited rights to create as many portals as she wanted and use them to pull magic directly from the Wellspring. Compared to her partner, this was barely a crime, but considering the other things the Library’s investigation had turned up, the McAllisters had quickly found themselves in trouble with their Board of Directors, and through a whole bunch of political twists that Penny barely followed but Alice and Julia both recounted with relish, somehow, Margo was now in charge of the company. Julia still refused to be anything more than a spell writer, though now one who cast her own spells, but she was unofficially second in command, and for weeks the two of them had been completely absorbed in the final touches on the portal.

Penny joined the crowd at the base of the pavilion, which included Eliot, Quentin, Josh, Victoria and James. Kady was up on the platform with the other Librarians, and she smiled when she caught sight of their group. Zelda did as well, her eyes lingering on Harriet.

Learning that Harriet was Zelda’s daughter had been the strangest change over the last year. Kady had yelled “I knew those cookies tasted familiar!” when Harriet finally admitted it, but she’d grown more serious when Harriet explained that she and her mother hadn’t spoken in twenty years. She’d spent a lot of time that night watching her own mother with a thoughtful, sad look in her eyes while Penny and Julia had exchanged worried glances over her head - and the next day she’d turned up at the farmhouse with a note from Zelda, inviting Harriet for a no-strings visit to the Neitherlands. Their relationship was still strained, but there had been a few visits back and forth, and Zelda’s affection for Kady now made a lot more sense. 

Margo and Fen appeared at the center of the stage. Fen cleared her throat into the microphone a few times before Margo bellowed “Listen up!” and the crowd quieted.

Fen had a speech prepared - Penny knew, because they’d all listened to the six pages of ideas she’d written up at the dinner she’d thrown last week - but Penny barely listened, his attention drawn to the other side of the platform. Julia stood at the base of the portal, and though she was as composed as always in a professional setting, Penny could tell she was shaking with nervous excitement. 

Fen finished her speech, and Margo gave a much shorter one that ended with “let’s get this thing moving, people, come on!” Eliot, Quentin and Alice cheered especially loudly. Then Margo and Julia stepped to either side of the portal, the rest of their team around them, and began to cast.

“Is it bad that I’m nervous?” Penny turned as Kady climbed down beside him and took his hand. 

“No,” he said. “But she’ll be fine.” Julia cast more than any of them, these days; she was like a student who’d just discovered magic for the first time.

The portal opened slowly; at first it was no more than a shimmering in the air, then a hazy picture, like a painting out of a fairy tale, emerged, set against the sharp urban landscape of New York. Penny held his breath as the image darkened and grew clearer, the magicians casting faster and faster. At the last minute, the rest of them lowered their arms, and Julia and Margo, on either side, brought their hands together. There was a flash, and then Fillory was here, a fantasy kingdom in the middle of the park.

A cheer went up from the crowd as Pete, Marina and some of the other Librarians began ushering the first people through the portal. Charlie went through at her mother’s side, on Humbledrum’s back, squealing as she caught her first sight of Whitespire. 

Penny wrapped an arm around Kady’s shoulders. “You ready?” he asked.

“Of course.”

They took the steps up to the pavilion, where Julia had held back to wait for them. She grinned, looking exhausted from the casting but excited. “This is the best part,” she said.

“The part where you finally stop working fourteen-hour days and we get to see you?” Kady asked, detaching herself from Penny so she could take Julia’s hand. 

“The part where I get to show you both a piece of me,” she said. “And something I really loved.”

Penny took her other hand. “Show us.”

Julia led them forward, and they stepped through the portal together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've made it this far, thank you for coming on this journey with me and I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> And here you can see all the art in one place: [[ART] for Tell Me Something I Don't Know](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26526571%20rel=)


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